logical fallacies

Ad Hominem “to the man”

This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her opinions or arguments.

Appeal to False Authority

Using an alleged authority as evidence in your argument when the authority is not really an authority on the facts relevant to the argument. As the audience, allowing an irrelevant authority to add credibility to the claim being made.

Bandwagon “everybody’s doing it”

This is an appeal that presents what most people, or a group of people think, in order to persuade one to think the same way

Begging the Question

When an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it.

Either/Or

This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices.

False Analogy

Assuming that because two things are alike in one or more respects, they are necessarily alike in some other respect.

Hasty Generalities

This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts.

Non Sequitur

Occurs when there is not even a deceptively plausible appearance of valid reasoning, because there is an obvious lack of connection between the given premises and the conclusion drawn from them.

Red Herring

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

Slippery Slope

This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur, A must not be allowed to occur either.

Straw Man

This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument.