PHIL 109 - Fallacies Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards defining fallacies of relevance, inductive fallacies, and fallacies of presumption and diversion based on the PHIL 109 study guide.

Fallacies of Relevance

Arguments that use reasons that are not actually relevant enough to establish the conclusion.

Subjectivism

Holding something to be true merely because you believe or want it to be true.

Appeal to Majority

Using the fact that a majority believes something as the reason it must be true.

Appeal to Force

Using a threat as a reason to believe a proposition.

Ad Hominem

Rejecting a proposition by attacking the person who affirms it instead of addressing the proposition.

Ad Hominem (Abusive)

A form of ad hominem that rejects a claim by using irrelevant insults against the person affirming it.

Tu Quoque

A form of ad hominem ('You are, too!') that points out hypocrisy rather than answering the actual claim.

Poisoning the Well

Attacking a person's integrity by suggesting self-interest, bias, or another ulterior motive instead of addressing the argument.

Appeal to Emotion

Manipulating someone's emotional reactions (such as pity, fear, or guilt) to get them to agree with a proposition.

Appeal to Authority (Appeal to Bad Authority)

Relying on an authority who is not credible or not really an authority due to lacking conditions like education, position, or achievement.

False Dichotomy

Presenting an either/or argument as if there are only two alternatives when more than two relevant alternatives exist.

Post Hoc

Inferring that A caused B merely because A occurred before B.

Hasty Generalization

Affirming a generalization based on insufficient evidence, particularly lacking a sufficient sample size and variety.

Accident (Hasty Application)

Applying a generalization to a particular situation without noting relevant features or exceptions of that situation.

Slippery Slope

Positing a sequence of events without good reason for thinking they will actually follow, claiming a minor action guarantees major bad consequences.

Composition

Inferring that what is true of the parts must be true of the whole.

Division

Inferring that what is true of the whole must be true of the parts.

Begging the Question (Circular Argument)

An argument where the same proposition appears as both a premise and the conclusion, or where a loaded question assumes what it is trying to prove.

Equivocation

An argument where a key term switches meaning in the middle of the argument.

Appeal to Ignorance

Saying a proposition is true merely because it has not been shown false, or false merely because it has not been shown true.

Diversion

An argument that states one conclusion, but the reasons actually point toward another conclusion, leaving the original conclusion unsupported.

Missing the Point

An argument where the premises support some conclusion, but not the specific conclusion being claimed.

Straw Man

Rebutting an overly simplistic or distorted version of an opponent's argument instead of addressing the actual argument.

Red Herring

Creating a distraction from the issue at hand by changing focus to something irrelevant.

Non Sequitur

Giving premises and then a conclusion that does not remotely follow from them, having no meaningful logical connection.