Reasoning Errors and Fallacies

Flashcards covering key concepts and fallacies from 'Reasoning Errors' chapter.

Fallacies

Errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument.

Ad Hominem

A fallacy that attacks a person's character or traits instead of addressing the argument.

False Cause

A fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that because one thing follows another, it was caused by it.

Slippery Slope

A fallacy that suggests that one action will inevitably lead to a chain of events resulting in a negative outcome.

Straw Man

A fallacy where an opponent's argument is misrepresented to make it easier to attack.

Hasty Conclusion

A fallacy in which a generalization is made based on insufficient or biased evidence.

False Dilemma

A fallacy that presents two opposing options as the only possibilities when more options are available.

Begging the Question

A fallacy in which an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion instead of supporting it.

Red Herring

A fallacy that introduces irrelevant material to distract from the argument.

Appeal to Tradition

A fallacy that argues something should be done a certain way simply because it has been done that way in the past.

Appeal to Pity

A fallacy that manipulates pity to convince others to accept a conclusion.

Equivocation

A fallacy that uses ambiguous language to mislead or misrepresent the truth.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

An expectation that causes itself to be true due to positive feedback between belief and behavior.

Correlation vs. Causation

The concept that correlation between two events does not imply that one causes the other.

Critical Thinking Response

An analytical process which involves identifying fallacies and evaluating the strength of arguments.

Faulty Analogy

A fallacy that occurs when an analogy is drawn between two things that are not truly comparable.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

A specific type of false cause fallacy that asserts that if one event follows another, the first event must be the cause.

Two Wrongs Make a Right

A fallacy that attempts to justify an action by claiming that another action is equally wrong.

Appeal to Popularity (Ad Populum)

A fallacy that concludes a proposition is true because many or most people believe it.

Causal Link

A relationship where one event is understood to cause another.

Bias in Research

A tendency to favor certain conclusions over others, often leading to flawed reasoning.