Rhetorical Fallacies & Definitions

Ad Hominem Argument

any kind of fallacious argument that criticizes an idea by pointing out something about the person who holds the idea, rather than directly addressing the merit of the idea.

Example: Of course that write supports gun control; she’s a Democrat!

The attack shifts from the issue (gun control) to the political affiliation of the writer (Democrat)

Argument from Authority (or Argument from False Authority)

tempts the audience to agree with the writer’s assumptions based on the authority of a famous person or entity or on his or her own character (when the writers are well-known)

Example: It is absurd to believe that professional baseball players have used steroids because the most famous slugger of our time has repeatedly asserted that such a claim is false. 

Appeal to Ignorance

the assumption that whatever has not been proven false must be true (or, similarly, whatever has not been proved true must be false)

Example: No one can prove that the Loch Ness Monster doesn’t exist; therefore, the Loch Ness Monster exists. 

No one can prove that the Loch Ness Monster does exist; therefore, the Loch Ness Monster doesn’t exist. 

Begging the Question

When someone assumes that parts (or all) of what the person claims to be proving are proven facts.

Example: The Loch Ness Monster spoke to me in my dreams last night, so it must exist.

Hasty Generalization

Sometimes a writer will deliberately lead you to a conclusion by providing insufficient, selective evidence.

Example: Ping-pong is an extremely dangerous sport; last year, my friend got hit in the eye with a ping-pong ball and almost lost his vision in that eye.

Non Sequitur

In Latin, this means “it does not follow.” In English, it means a statement that does not relate logically to what comes before it.

Example: If you really wanted to earn a 5 on the AP English Language and Composition exam, you wouldn’t spend so much time reading Isabel Allende’s novels.

False Dichotomy

Consists of a consideration of only two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities.

Example: AP Calculus BC class is impossible; either you get it or you don’t.

Slippery Slope

arguments that suggest dire consequences from relatively minor causes.

Example: If we stop requiring men to wear coats and ties in the dining room, pretty soon they’ll start coming in dressed in beachwear.

Faulty Causality

setting up of a cause-and-effect relationship when none exists. In faulty causality, one event can happen after another without the first necessarily being the direct cause of the second. 

Example: Violent crime among adolescents has risen in the past decade, and that is the result of increased sales of violent video games. 

Straw Man Argument

an oversimplification of an opponent’s argument to make it easier to attack.

Example: Students who want to eliminate the school uniform are exhibitionists who want to show off bare midriffs.

Sentimental Appeals

an attempt to appeal to the heart of the readers so that they forget to use their minds.

Example: The assignment that I gave you last night was much too long, but just think how pleased your parents and I will be when you score a 5 on the AP exam. Think of the pride you’ll feel when tears of joy stream down our faces

Red Herring

an attempt to shift the attention away from an important issue by introducing an issue that has no logical connection to the discussion at hand.

Example: My opponent talks about the poor quality of military intelligence, but this is a time for decisiveness, not weakness. We must stick together and present a common front as the other nations look on. If we do not, we could jeopardize our position as a global leader.

Scare Tactics

used to frighten readers into agreeing with the speaker, often when they have no logical argument to fall back on.

Example: My opponent talks about the need to explore stem cell research, but this would bring about an end to ethical uses of technology, and before long, scientists will be creating superraces

Bandwagon Appeals

encouraging a listener to agree with a position because everyone else does. It is the rhetorical device equivalent of “peer pressure”

Example: It’s time for our county to repeal the ban on strip mining

Dogmatism

does not allow for discussion because the speaker presumes that his or her beliefs are beyond question; essentially, “I am right because I am right”

Example: We are members of the wombat party and, as such, I know that we are right when we assert that wombats are the best.

Equivocation

telling part of the truth while deliberately hiding the entire truth; this is similar to lying by omission.

Faulty Analogy

an illogical, misleading comparison between two things.

Example: Why should we invade that country? Let me explain it to you like this. What if you looked out the window and saw a 20 dollar bill in the street? Wouldn’t you go outside and take it?