COMMON LOGICAL

FALLACIES
Flawed Arguments

LOGICAL FALLACIES
Flaws in an argument
Often subtle
Learning to recognize these will:

Strengthen

your own arguments

Help you critique others arguments

HASTY GENERALIZATION

A generalization based on insufficient or

unrepresented evidence
Deaths

from drug overdoses in Metropolis have

doubled over the last three years. Therefore, more
Americans than ever are dying from drug abuse.
One student is arrested for drugs and suddenly all
students in that school are called druggies.

NON SEQUITUR (DOES NOT

FOLLOW)

A conclusion that does not follow logically from

preceding statements. Or the train of thought jumps
the tracks at some point.
Mary

loves children, so she will make an excellent school

teacher. (This support alone does not follow or is NonSequitorIf Mary is a murderer, or has a 50 IQ, she will
not make a good teacher no matter how much she loves
kids.)
No one should grill their steaks. Cows dont like smoke.
(This does not follow because it does not make sense. The
cows are dead. They are steaks.)

FALSE ANALOGY

The assumption that because two things are alike

in some respects, they are alike in others.
If

we put humans on the moon, we should be able to

find a cure for the common cold!
IF teachers can use the phones and drink coffee in
school, students should be able to also!
If adults can legally drink alcohol, teenagers should
be able to also!

EITHER OR FALLACY

The suggestion that only two alternatives exist

when in fact there are more.
Either

learn how to program a computer, or you wont

be able to get a decent job after college.

FALSE CAUSE (POST HOC,

COINCIDENCE VS.
CAUSALITY)
The assumption that because one event follows
another, the first is the cause of the second.
Every

time I wear my blue sweater, it snows. OMG,

MY BLUE SWEATER CAUSES SNOW!!!

TU QUO QUE
YOU DO IT TOO
Saying they do it too does not negate their
argument it is valid.
Claiming a persons argument is wrong or weak
because they do the behavior they are arguing
against.
Ex: Dr. says Stop smoking or you will die. You
have bronchitis.
Patient says I dont have to listen to you, you
smoke too!

CIRCULAR REASONING/
BEGGING THE QUESTION

An argument in which the writer, instead of

applying evidence simply restates the point in
other language.
God

exists. How do you know? The Bible says so.

Who wrote the Bible? God.
Chicken nuggets are good. Why are they good?
Because they are tasty. Why are they tasty? Because
they are good!

FALSE AUTHORITY
The person presenting the argument is an authority,
but not on the subject at hand.
Three types:
Self ProofBecause I said so
Spokes PersonBecause famous person says so
Too much CreditBecause they are good at one thing,
they know all things
I have a degree in
Medicine and I am
here to tell you the
economy is about
to FAIL!

AD BACULUM
APPEAL TO FEAR
Proving your argument through fear or the threat
of consequences instead of using logical
reasoning.
Scare people in order to prove your point.

If you do not believe in God, you will go to Hell.

Global warming will kill us all so stop using
hairspray.
If you do not sit down, I will fail you.

ARGUMENT TO THE PERSON (AD

HOMINEM)

An attack on the person proposing an argument

rather than on the argument itself.
Senator

Jones was a conscientious objector during

the Vietnam War, so his proposal to limit military
spending has no merit.
Why are you talking about an open campus? You
cannot even drive, silly sophomore!

RED HERRING
An argument that focuses on an irrelevant issue
to detract attention from the real issue.
A Red Herring is literally a SMELLY FISH. You
basically say, My back is against the wall. I
cannot win this argument. HERE IS AN AWFUL
SMELLY FISH TO DISTRACT YOU!

Mom,

I know I have ISS for tardies but at least I am

not doing drugs like all those other kids up there!

PITY (AD MISERICORDIAM)

Ad Misericordiam is an appeal to accept the

truth of a conclusion out of pity for the arguer or
some third party. Either the arguer (or someone
else) is already an object of pity, or they will
become one if the conclusion is not accepted.
If

I dont get at least a B in this course my GPA will

drop below 2.0. If that happens Ill lose my
scholarship and have to quit school, so I ought to get
a B in this course.

NON-DISPROOF

One sometimes encounters arguments that some

claim should be accepted because they have never
been disproved. The move from not disproved to
proved is invalid.
No

one has ever proven that I cant flap my arms and

fly, so maybe I can.
No one has ever shown that it is impossible that the
stars rule our lives; therefore, astrology is true.
No one has ever proved that Big Foot doesnt exist, so
thus he does!

SLIPPERY SLOPE

Like a muddy hill, if we go down this slope we will fall

If we allow one thing a whole slew of other, negative
events will occur as a result
If we allow students to have ipods, pretty soon they
will have entire systems out in class bumping bass all
over the school.
If we pass this health care bill eventually the
government will take over the decision-making from
patients and doctors

STRAW MAN

The person attacks an argument which is

different from, and usually weaker than, the
opposition's best argument.
Setting

up a fake version of something or someone

that is easy for others to not like.

Ex.

Katie, my shih-tzu, isnt really hungry; she just

wants us to get up all the time and cater to her every
whim!
People who think abortion should be banned have no
respect for the rights of women. They treat them as
nothing but baby-making machines. That's wrong.
Women must have the right to choose.

Circular reasoning

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Either/Or

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