Logical Fallacies and Generalizations Flashcards

A set of 15 vocabulary flashcards defining key logical fallacies, generalizations, and logical reasoning terms based on lecture notes.

Red Herring

The introduction of an irrelevant point into an argument that distracts from the real question.

Ad Hominem

A Latin phrase meaning "to the man" that attacks a person's character or motives rather than disproving the argument.

Tu Quoque

A Latin phrase meaning "you, too" that dismisses someone's viewpoint because that person is inconsistent on that issue.

Faulty Appeal to Authority

An appeal to someone who has no special knowledge in the area being discussed or using a single authority on a controversial topic.

Genetic Fallacy

An argument fallacy that attacks the origin of the argument, condemning it because of how the person came to hold it.

Appeal to the People (argumentum ad populum)

When someone claims their viewpoint is correct because many other people agree with it.

Generalization

A broad comment about a group of people or kind of things, composed of samples taken from a class.

Class

A group of people or things which all have some common characteristic or characteristics.

Sample

A subset taken from a class to make a generalization.

Strong Generalization

A generalization that is more likely to be correct, becoming stronger as the sample grows larger and more representative.

Hasty Generalization

Generalizing about a class based upon a small or poor sample.

Straw Man

Changing or exaggerating an opponent's position or argument to make it seem weaker than it is and easier to refute.

Circular Reasoning

An argument structure where P is true because Q is true, and Q is true because P is true.

Begging the Question

An issue in reasoning where an argument assumes what it is trying to prove.

Equivocation

Changing the meaning of a word in the middle of an argument.