Rhetorical Fallacy/Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

attack the person, not the argument

Argument from Authority

believe something to be true based on its association with someone or something that may not be a true expert on the matter

Appeal to Ignorance

This fallacy occurs when you argue that your conclusion must be true, because there is no evidence against it. This fallacy wrongly shifts the burden of proof away from the one making the claim

Hasty Generalization

to come to a conclusion based on insufficient evidence or a “small sample size.”

False Dichotomy (or Either/Or Fallacy)

to suggest that only two extremes are possible in a more complex situation. Also called the Either/or fallacy

Faulty Casuality

to suggest that one thing causes another when it really does not.  To mistake correlation with causation

Slippery Slope

to suggest unrealistically dire consequences from a relatively minor cause

Straw Man

to oversimplify an opponent’s argument in order to make it easier to attack

Scare Tactics

to rely on an unreasonable sense of fear or threat in order to persuade an audience. (Also called “appeal to fear”)

Bandwagon

You should go along with something because “everyone else is doing it.”

Equivocation

Telling part of the truth while deliberately hiding the full truth.  Sometimes called “lying by omission.”

Faulty Analogy

To suggest two things are very much alike when they really are not.

Begging the Question

Any form of argument where the conclusion is assumed in one of the premises. Also called “circular reasoning.”

Non Sequitur

When the conclusion does not follow from the premises.  In more informal reasoning, it can be when what is presented as evidence or reason is irrelevant or adds very little support to the conclusion.

Sentimental Appeals

An argument where emotion supersedes logic in a way that is misleading or melodramatic and typically lacks tangible evidence.Dogmati

Dogmatism

The belief that one’s opinion is fact, and therefore is beyond questions and cannot be attacked

Red Herring

This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.