Logical

Fallacies

Essential Questions
What techniques to advertisers,
writers, and speakers use to
persuade their audiences?
How can being aware of these
techniques make us more critical
thinkers and digesters of information
rather than just consumers?

What is a Logical Fallacy?

A logical fallacy is a mistake in

reasoning, a flawed argument
used just to win a debate, a
distraction from the actual
argument, or a foundational
weakness in reasoning.

Appeal to Fear
argumentum in terrorem
(also known as: argumentum ad metum, argument from
adverse consequences, scare tactics)

When fear, not based on evidence or

reason, is being used as the primary
motivator to get others to accept an idea,
proposition, or conclusion.

Fear

Fear

Fear
Click to watch an example of appeal to
fear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf
AxUpeVhCg

Ad Hominem
[Latin: to (against) the
person]

Ad hominem is an
argument that attacks
the character of a
person rather than
his opinions or

Ad Hominem
[Latin: to (against)
the person]
Example:
Oprahs donations to worthy
causes are useless because
she cant possibly know
about poverty as a rich and

Ad Hominem = Personal Attack

Ad Hominem = Personal Attack

Ad Hominem = Personal Attack

Ad Hominem =
Personal Attack

Click the link to watch a video

where the speaker employs
personal attack.
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=AppHOYxpquQ

False Dilemma/Situation
Presents only two choices and forces
someone to choose from the two choices
when in reality there are plenty more
options out there.

False Dilemma Only Two

Choices

Example:
If you drive without car insurance,
then youre an accident waiting to
happen.
Stay protected with Auto Union
insurance.

False Analogy
False analogies use comparisons
or metaphors to relate ideas or
situations that are not really
that similar.
*Be sure that the two ideas
youre comparing are really

False Analogy
Example:
Students and nails are the same. As it
is necessary to hit nails on the head in
order to make them work, the same
must be done with students.

False
Analogy

False
Analogy

False Analogy

Slippery slope
Slippery slope is a conclusion based on
the premise that if A happens, then
eventually through a series of small steps
B, C, D.X, Y, and Z will happen too.
This basically equates A and Z.
If we dont want Z to occur, then A must
not be allowed to occur either.

Slippery slope
Example:
If we ban Hummers because
they are bad for the
environment, then eventually
the government will ban all cars;
therefore, we should not ban

Slippery slope
Example:
Parents who do not set a curfew for their
children are setting them up for failure.
Their children will stay out late at night,
become involved in self-destructive
activities, develop dangerous habits, get
arrested, and wind up in a life of crime,
resulting in long-term imprisonment.

Slippery
Slope

Slippery Slope
Click to watch the Direct TV ad:
https://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=u9vbXpMKz6I

Non Sequitur
[Latin: it does not follow or Not in
sequence]

One point or argument does not

follow logically from the preceding
one, i.e., no logical relationship
exists between two or more
supposedly connected ideas.

Non Sequitur
[Latin: it does not follow or Not
in sequence]
Example: He has my vote for senator,
because he has the best shirts.
(What does a campaign organization
have to do with qualifications?)

Non Sequitor
Click the link to watch a series of
commercials from Old Spice that
demonstrate the non sequitor
fallacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=KXuho3eRfh4

False Authority
False authority is a tactic used mainly in
advertising that presents people as
authorities on products or issues.
. H o w e v e r , a n a u t h o r i t y i n o n e fi e l d m a y k n o w
n o t h i n g o f a n o t h e r fi e l d .
B e i n g k n o w l e d g e a b l e i n o n e a re a d o e s n t
c o n s t i t u t e k n o w l e d g e i n o t h e r a re a s .
U s u a l l y c e l e b r i t i e s a n d s p o r t s fi g u re s a re u s e d i n
this tactic.

False Authority
Example:
My uncle is a podiatrist, and he only takes
Sweet Valley daily chewable vitamin C, and
so should you.
A podiatrist is a foot doctor.
What does a foot doctor know about the
best vitamin supplement brands on the
market?

Post hoc
Latin: Occurring after this,
therefore resulting from it
Post hoc is a conclusion that assumes a
cause/effect relationship between two
sequential events. (i.e. If A occurred
after B, then B must have caused A.)
A cause and effect relationship between
two sequential events; often very
unreasonable

Post hoc
Latin: Occurring after this,
therefore resulting from it
Example:
Eating five candy bars and drinking two
sodas before a test helps me get better
grades. I did that and got an A on my last
test in history.
* This ignores other possible causes like

Post Hoc Faulty Cause/Effect

A man ate pizza everyday. That man lived to
be 100. Eating pizza everyday will make you
live a long life.

Straw Man
Misrepresents the context from which a
quotation is taken; putting words or ideas in
peoples mouth/head; creating a dummy or
fake or falsified argument or situation so you
can attack it .
It appears to be a human. It draws the
attention of animals without even really being
anything more than a fixture. It isn't real, yet
the animals are concerned about it.

Straw Man
Bill and Jill are arguing about cleaning out their
closets:
Jill: "We should clean out the closets. They are
getting a bit messy."
Bill: "Why, we just went through those closets last
year. Do we have to clean them out everyday?"
Jill: "I never said anything about cleaning them out
every day. You just want too keep all your junk
forever, which is just ridiculous."

Straw man
"Senator Jones says that we should not fund the
attack submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't
understand why he wants to leave us defenseless
like that."
In this example, Senator Joness position is
misrepresented as one that wants to leave the
country defenseless. The antagonist is making the
assertion that: "Do not fund the attack submarine
program" = "Leave the country defenseless."
However the two statements are not equal, and it

Ball Toss Review

If the ball comes your way, say the definition to the
following term:

Straw man
Post hoc
False authority
Non sequitur
Slippery slope
False analogy
False Dilemma
Ad hominem
Appeal to Fear