LOGICAL FALLACY -Superstition

Fallacy – logical fallacies are forms of flawed thinking. They can be obvious or subtle. >A notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary. Any belief based on fear,
They’re often disguised as reasonable claims, which means that detecting them takes ignorance or the supernatural that’s inconsistent with the laws of science
practice. represents superstition. (Ex: Some people think that if you stare into a mirror for
too long, the mirror will capture your soul. But science can’t prove that so that’s
superstition.) one of the best way to avoid superstition is to look for evidence.
AD HOMINEM

-Most common fallacy. The Latin term means “against the man”. Refers to an attack on the
person rather than on the argument or issue FALSE DICHOTOMY
-The assumption here is that if the speaker proves unacceptable in some way, his or her -Incorrectly thinking that a choice can be made based on only one of two options when in
statement must also be judged unacceptable. fact, alternative possibilities exist. (Ex: The Hawks and the Dives during the Vietnam War.
- It’s a form of character assassination. It happens when sticking to the issue at hand takes Hawks Doves
too much energy or integrity. is the group that support Vietnam war
Example: The name calling (racial slurs, politically motivated insults, gender defamation, the Vietnam war. protestors.
“America, love it or Accused the returning
religious attacks and any other form of character assassination one can imagine)
leave it” troops as war-
(if you don’t support mongering baby-killers
SUBTLE AD HOMINEM Vietnam therefore you
don’t love America, you
Someone might complain, “What can the priest tell us about marriage, he’s never been should leave)
married himself?” this accusation ignores the validity of the advice the priest might
offer(Vow of celibacy vs advance degrees + counseling coursework) and since 40% to
BEGGING THE QUESTION
50% of married couples in the US divorce, people who do get married shouldn’t judging
priests -The most dismissive fallacy. There is no point in arguing a fact. In begging the question,
the arguer attempts to present as proven something that is opinion. (Ex: Harold Coleman
HASTY GENERALIZATION is clearly guilty of embezzlement so why bother with a trial?) Everything that can be argued
is an opinion.
An inductive fallacy which means drawing a conclusion based on too little data. The two
clear examples are: -Begging the question can cause serious damage.

-Stereotyping
FAULTY ANALOGY
> to believe that all people with a particular characteristic are the same (Ex: I once
-Comparing two things that don’t share a fundamental similarity (Ex: If we ban guns, then
met a Harvard Professor who was very cold and arrogant, therefore all Harvard
we might as well ban knives. The guns are used to kill or maim, knives are used to cut
professors are very cold and arrogant)
carrots)
>One person does not reflect the entire future at large
SLIPPERY SLOPE CIRCULAR REASONING

-In the slippery slope reasoning, the arguer starts off with a single condition, takes a stand
against it and uses as support the notion that other, worse things will happen if the first
condition is allowed to exist. (Ex: If we allow this, the sky will fall and the world will end and
we will all be zombies after the apocalypse) here, there’s a need of evidence to prove that
the negative outcome will happen.
-Slippery slope fallacies are casual analysis wannabes that lack evidence.
RELATIVIST FALLACY
A form of flawed thinking in which the proposition depends on or is equivalent to the
conclusion. (Ex. The Bible is the Word of God because the Bible says so)
RED HERRING
An irrelevant topic presented to distract the audience from the actual subject at hand
(Ex. Citizen 1: Our candidate has a much clearer understanding of how to generate
business in our community

Three step process: Citizen 2: What good is that given that he’s a womanizing boozer?)

-Claim X is present.
-Person A rejects Claim X, stating that it might be true but isn’t true for him. APPEALS TO FEAR
-Therefore, Person A believes he is just in rejecting Claim X.

“That fact isn’t my experience so its not true”

APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

NON SEQUITUR
BANDWAGON FALLACY
-The Latin for “It does not follow”. With this fallacy, the conclusion does not follow from what
proceeded it.

-Ex: “Dr. Jones has been involved with some fascinating cancer research, therefore, I am
sure he’d be an excellent choice for your general practitioner. There is no logical sequence
between Dr. Jones being a good cancer researcher and a talented family doctor. The two
practices require dramatically different skills Dr. Jones might be a brilliant researcher but
fails at prescribing patients’ insulin so the two points bear no real relation to each other. One
fact does not follow the other.

COMPLEX QUESTION FALLACY

This happens when a question is asked that rests on a doubtful assumption and all answers
would then appear to endorse that assumption. (Ex. So are you still beating your wife?)