COLWRT logical fallacies

ad antiquitatem

ad antiquitatem

an argument based only on tradition withough establishing that the conditions of the past are the same conditions of the present.

ad hominem

an argument directed at the person making the counter-argument as opposed to an actual examination of the counter-argument (this is a specific type of red herring).

ad ignorantiam

an argument that attempts to prove something is true simply because it cannot be proven false.

ad nauseum

trying to win an argument by simply repeating the same claim over and over without explanation/evidence/proof in order to wear down the opposition.

ad populum

an argument suggesting that the majority rules but that fails to consider majorities can make mistakes.

ad verecundiam

an argument to someone who is an authority figure but probably not an authority figure in the field relevant to the argument (misplaced authority).

circulus in demonstrando

an argument that draws a conclusion that’s also one of its premises - simply rephrases the conclusion as a reason for the conclusion.

non sequitur

literally means “it does not follow”; occurs when steps are missing in a deductive argument or the syllogism is unsound.

red herring

a distraction technique named after pickled herring being used to deter hunting dogs.

straw man

attacking a false representation of the opposition (because it’s easier to attack than the actual argument).

dicto simpliciter

an argument based on an unqualified generalization (stereotyping based on the majority or the average).

hasty generalization

the generalization is reached too hastily. there are too few instances to support such a conclusion.

post hoc

something unrelated being blamed for the outcome (correlation does not equal causation).

contradictory premises

when the premises of an argument contradict each other, there can be no argument. always used to trick the audience or the opposition (used for deception).

ad misericordiam

appealing to sympathy (based on a sense of misery) to avoid answering the question that is asked.

false analogy

if the situations are different then you cannot make an analogy between them.

hypothesis contrary to fact

you can’t start with a hypothesis that is not true and then draw any supportable conclusions from it (we can’t change the past and then try to predict the future because there are too many variables).

poisoning the well

a person gives information at the beginning of the argument to discredit the opposing argument.