Logical Fallacies and Arguments

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to various logical fallacies and argumentation techniques.

Poisoning the well / Ad hominem

A vicious personal attack on an opponent.

Tu quoque

Responding to criticism with criticism.

Bandwagon appeal

The argument that 'everyone likes it, so you should too'.

Slippery slope

Arguing that one small step will lead to an extreme outcome.

Anecdotal

Using personal experience or an isolated incident to make an argument.

Hasty generalization

Making a generalization based on insufficient examples.

Sweeping generalization

An argument based on an unqualified generalization, e.g. 'all teenagers are addicted to electronics'.

Red herring

A distraction in an argument, used to sidetrack others.

Either/or (black or white)

Presenting two alternative states as the only possibilities.

Appeal to false authority

Using a celebrity to sell a product, undermining credible authority.

Faulty causality

A flawed relationship between cause and effect.

Scare tactic

Using fear to persuade, e.g. buying insurance to avoid future burdens.

Straw Man

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.