Logical Fallacies

Scare Tactics

Exploiting fear to persuade rather than presenting logical evidence; exaggerates possible dangers to manipulate behavior.

"If you don't vote for this bill, terrorists will attack us."

Either/Or (False Dilemma)

Reduces a complex issue to two opposing options, ignoring possible alternatives or nuance.

"We either ban all cars or destroy the planet."

Slippery Slope

Argues that one small action will inevitably trigger a chain of catastrophic events without sufficient evidence.

"If we allow late homework, soon no one will meet deadlines."

Bandwagon (Ad Populum)

Urges conformity by suggesting an idea is valid simply because it's popular or widely accepted.

"Everyone supports this policy, so it must be right."

False Authority

Cites an authority outside their field of expertise as evidence for a claim.

"A famous actor recommends this medication, so it must be safe."

Dogmatism

Asserts that one belief is the only acceptable view, shutting down discussion or dissent.

"Anyone who disagrees with this policy is un-American."

Ad Hominem

Attacks the character or motives of an opponent instead of addressing their argument.

"Don't listen to her opinion on taxes—she's too young to understand."

Stacking the Deck

Presents only evidence that supports one side of an argument while ignoring or suppressing contradictory evidence.

Our product has only received five-star reviews!" (ignoring the rest)

Begging the Question (Circular Reasoning)

The claim is supported by a premise that simply restates or assumes the claim’s truth.

“He’s honest because he always tells the truth.”

Equivocation

Uses ambiguous language or shifts the meaning of a key term to mislead the audience.

"I have the right to speak, so what I say must be right."

Non Sequitur

Draws a conclusion that doesn't logically follow from the premises.

"She drives a Tesla, so she must care about the environment."

Straw Man

Misrepresents or oversimplifies an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

"You want to reduce the military budget—you must hate the troops."

Red Herring

Introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the main issue.

"Why talk about climate change when people are unemployed?"

Faulty Analogy

Draws a comparison between two things that are not sufficiently similar to justify the conclusion.

"Employees are like nails—you have to hit them to make them work."

Paralipsis

Emphasizes a point by pretending to pass over it; draws attention while claiming not to.

"I won't even mention his history of cheating."

Post Hoc (False Cause)

Assumes that because one event followed another, the first caused the second.

"The rooster crowed, then the sun rose—therefore, the rooster caused the sunrise."

Argument from Ignorance (Ad Ignorantiam)

Claims something is true (or false) simply because it hasn’t been proven otherwise.

No one can prove ghosts don’t exist, so they must be real.”