Logical Fallacies Test

Occurs when the author strays from the argument to either dodge the argument or to distract the audience from lack of evidence

Fallacies of Evasion

Treating an opinion that is open to question as if it were already proved/disproved

Begging the Question

Latin, literally ‘it does not follow’. No logical relation exists between two or more connected ideas

Non Sequiter

An irrelevant issue intended to distract readers from relevant ones by throwing them ‘off the trail’

Red Herring

Citing as an expert someone who expertise is doubtful/nonexistent

False Authority

Asking readers to accept a conclusion based on shared values or even prejudices and nothing else 

Argument Ad Populum

Attacking the real or imagined negative qualities of the people who hold the opposing view, instead of attacking the issue

Ad Hominem

Argumentative positions are not ___ and ___—there are many shades of ___ that should be considered when tackling a large issue

black, white, grey

To ____ is to conceal/___ complexities in an attempt to create a neater, more convincing argument than ___ allows.

oversimplify, ignore, reality

Jumping to a conclusion; a claim based on little evidence/on evidence that is unrepresentative

Hasty Generalization

Using absolute statements that are not supportable at all

Sweeping Generalization

Reductive fallacy, oversimplifies the relation between cause and effect. The causes/effects may be more complex than indicated, or they may not exist at all.

Oversimplification

Latin for “after this, therefore because of this”; wrongly assuming that because A preceded B, then A must have caused B

Post Hoc Fallacy

Assuming that a complicated question has only two answers: one good and one bad, both bad, or both good

Either/Or

A comparison that assumes a complete likeness between two elements in an argument. Just because they are similar in one respect, they may not be similar in all respects.

False Analogy

What fallacy would this example be?

The college’s expenses should be reduced by cutting subscriptions to useless database

Begging the Question

What fallacy would this example be?

Mike Bloomberg has my vote for president because he has the best quality ad campaign

Non Sequiter

What fallacy would this example be?

NFL players should not be allowed to kneel during the National Anthem because they are disrespecting American troops

Red Herring

What fallacy would this be?

Mike: It is morally wrong to cheat on your spouse, why on earth would you have done that?

Ken: But what is morality exactly?

Mike: It’s a code of conduct shared by cultures

Ken: But who creates this code?

Derailing an Argument using a Red Herring

What fallacy would this be?

Nancy Grace interviewed medical examiner Dr. Perper about the Casey Anthony case. However, he was not the ME that worked on the evidence of that case!

False Authority

What fallacy would this be?

No person in his right mind would take the word of a Canadian as the truth

Argument Ad Populum

What fallacy would this be?

The researcher who has discovered the cure for cancer is a Communist. I don’t think we should extend her the courtesy of listening to her findings.

Ad Hominem

What fallacy would this be?

I have known three union representatives in my life. I wouldn’t trust any of them.

Hasty Generalization

What fallacy would this be?

People who live in St. Louis are unfriendly

Sweeping Generalization

What fallacy would this be?

Pornography is the reason there is violence against women.

Oversimplification

What fallacy would this be?

In the two months since he took office, Mayor Holcomb has allowed crime to increase two percent.

Post Hoc Fallacy

What fallacy would this be?

City police officers are either brutal or corrupt

Either/Or

What fallacy would this be?

Free medical care for will work here because it works in England and Canada

False Analogy