Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

Attacks the character of a person rather than the claim made.

Ad Populum

Appeals to popular group loyalties not directly related to the issue at hand.

Appeals to False Authority

Draws on the authority of widely respected people, institutions, and texts.

Bandwagon Appeals

Urges people to follow the same path everyone else is taking.

Circular Reasoning "Begging the Question"

Assumes as true the claim disputed. It is a form of circular argument divorced from reality. It asserts that because something is correct then something closely related is also correct.

Dogmatism

Implies that there is no opposing argument.

Either-Or Choices

Reduces the options for action to only two choices.

Equivocation

Gives a lie an honest appearance; it is a half-truth.

Faulty Analogy

Is an inaccurate comparison between objects or concepts.

Faulty Causality

Is an argument that assumes that because one event or action follows another, the first necessarily caused the second.

Guilt by Association

Dismisses or condemns people because of the relationships they have.

Hasty Generalization

Is an argument that draws inference from insufficient evidence.

Moral Equivalence

Argues that serious wrongdoings do not differ in kind from minor offenses.

Non Sequitur

Is an argument in which claims, reasons, or warrants fail to connect logically; one point does not follow from another.

Red Herring

Uses irrelevance to distract attention from the real issue.

Scare Tactics

Uses fear to incite panic and/or prejudice.

Sentimental Appeals

Excessively uses tender emotions to distract readers from facts.

Slippery Slope

Exaggerates the consequences of an action, usually to frighten readers.

Stacking the Deck "Special Pleading"

Is an argument that focuses only on supporting evidence and ignores counterevidence that casts reasonable doubt upon it.

Sweeping Generalization

Applies a claim to all cases when it actually applies to only a few or maybe to none; stereotypes.

The Straw Man

Refutes a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that positio