Chapter 4: Rhetorical Fallacies (copy)

Emphasizing the Person

the evidence focuses on the person who supports a conclusion, not on the merits of the conclusion itself.

Ad Populum or “bandwagon”

a logical fallacy that occurs when someone argues that a claim must be true or valid because a large number of people believe it or are doing it. it is a form of faulty reasoning that appeals to emotions and social pressure rather than logical evidence or reasoning. It is important to critically evaluate claims based on their merits rather than simply following the crowd

Argument from Authority

This rhetorical fallacy focuses solely on the credentials or fame of the person recommending the product, without saying anything about the product itself.

Ad Hominem

This rhetorical fallacy turns to the other side of the coin and points out negative characteristics of the person who promotes an idea or action.

Dogmatism

the tendency to assert beliefs or opinions without considering evidence or alternative viewpoints. It is characterized by an unwavering adherence to a particular ideology or set of principles, often without room for critical thinking or open-mindedness. The conclusion must be correct because the author or speaker says it is and she can’t possibly be wrong.

Equivocation

This type of fallacy leaves out facts that a reader or listener would need in order to make a thorough assessment of the conclusion.

Someone could say, "I'm going to the bank” but then later claiming to have meant a river bank.

Sentimental Appeals

Persuasive techniques that evoke emotions, such as nostalgia or empathy, to influence an audience's attitude or behavior. Often used in advertising or speeches to create a personal connection and sway opinions based on sentimental feelings rather than logical reasoning. Charities often use this tactic when they ask for donations.

Slippery Slope

A logical fallacy that assumes one small action will lead to a chain of events resulting in a catastrophic outcome. According to this rhetorical fallacy, if you eat at a fast-food takeout once, pretty soon you’ll never want to eat healthy, nourishing home-cooked meals again.

Scare Tactics

refer to the use of fear or intimidation to manipulate or influence someone's behavior or beliefs. For instance, a political campaign might use this by spreading exaggerated or false information about their opponent.

Red Herring

Instead of addressing the key issues of an opposing argument, it focuses attention on an insignificant or irrelevant factor.

Straw Man

is a fallacious argument that misrepresents an opponent's position in order to make it easier to attack. It involves creating a distorted or exaggerated version of the original argument, which is then refuted. This tactic is often used to divert attention from the actual argument and manipulate the audience's perception.

Faulty analogy

One thing is compared with a second thing, but the comparison is exaggerated or misleading or unreasonable.

Faulty causality

This type of fallacy assumes that because one event happened shortly before another, the first event must have caused the second.

Begging the Question

In this rhetorical fallacy, an assumption which is not proven is used as evidence that the conclusion is correct.

Circular Argument

This fallacy says essentially the same thing in both the conclusion and in the evidence that allegedly supports it.

Missing the point

The author offers evidence that supports a conclusion—it’s just not the same conclusion that the author reaches.

Non Sequitur

A logical fallacy where the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises or evidence presented. It is an invalid argument that lacks a clear connection between the statements.

False Dichotomy

This rhetorical fallacy assumes a black-and-white world in which there is no middle ground, no other alternative.

Hasty Generalization

Here the author or speaker assumes that a limited experience foreshadows the entire experience.

Non-testable hypothesis

In this rhetorical fallacy, anything that has not been proven false is assumed to be true; the author doesn’t need to prove it’s true.