AP lang fallacy

Logical Fallacies

Potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument.

Red Herring

Speaker skips to a new irrelevant topic in order to avoid the topic of discussion.

Example of Red Herring

We can argue about my test grades all night, but what we really need to talk about is my new car.

Ad hominem

Switches argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker.

Example of Ad hominem

We can not support him wanting to renovate the park, he was arrested for a DUI three years ago.

Faulty Analogy

Comparing two things that are not comparable.

Example of Faulty Analogy

We put animals who are in irreversible pain out of their misery, so we should do the same for people.

Either/or (false dilemma)

Speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.

Example of Either/or (false dilemma)

Either we agree to higher taxes, or our grandchildren will be mired in debt.

Straw man fallacy

When a speaker chooses a deliberately poor oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an opponent's viewpoint.

Example of Straw man fallacy

Politician A - We will put a man on Mars in 4 years. Politician B - Why are we looking for martians in outer space?

Hasty generalization

There is not enough evidence to support a particular conclusion.

Example of Hasty generalization

Smoking isn't bad for you; my great aunt has smoked all her life and she is 90.

Circular reasoning

Repeating the claim as a way to provide evidence, resulting in no evidence at all.

Example of Circular reasoning

You can not give me a C, I am an A student.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (PHEPH)

After which therefore because of which. Correlation does not imply causation.

Example of Post hoc ergo propter hoc

We decided to elect him as President and look where it got us: floods, hurricanes, stock market crashes.

Ad populum (bandwagon appeal)

Basis evidence on what is popular.

Example of Ad populum

You should vote to elect Rachel, she has a strong lead in the polls.

Appeal to false authority

Cites a person who is non-qualified as an expert in the topic.

Example of Appeal to false authority

A celebrity in a car advertisement.