AICE Thinking Skills Fallacies

Slippery Slope

An arguer claims without sufficient reason that a seemingly harmless action will lead to a disastrous outcome. 'If action A is permitted, A will lead to B, B will lead to C, and soon to D. Arguer holds that D is a terrible thing that shouldn't be permitted. There's no good reason to believe that A will lead to D.'

Ad Hominem

Reflects someone's argument or claim rather than the person's argument or claim. 'X is a bad person. Therefore, X's argument must be bad.'

Bandwagon appeal

Argument that an idea should be accepted because a large number of people favor it or believe it to be true. 'Most people believe or do X. Therefore, you should believe or do X.'

Inappropriate Appeal to Authority

When an arguer cites an authority who, there's a good reason to believe is unreliable.

Non sequitor

A conclusion doesn't follow logically from preceding statements or that's based on irrelevant data.

Straw man

When you twist people's words and misrepresent or completely fabricate someone's argument so it's easier to attack.

Begging the question

Accept the conclusion without real evidence.

Tu Quoque

Rejects another person's argument or claim because that person fails to practice what they preach.

Hasty Generalization

Arguer draws general conclusion from a sample that's either biased or too small.

False Dichotomy

Argument presents two options or opinions and ignores other alternatives. Black and white mindset.

Post Hoc

Arguer assumes that one event precedes another; the first event caused the second. Like superstitions.

Appeal to Ignorance

Claim must be true because no one proved it false or vice versa.

Weak Analogy

Argument decides to make a comparison between two or more things that are not similar in relevant ways.

Two Wrongs make a Right

Justification of an action by claiming some other act is just as bad or worse.