Logical Fallacies

Appeal to Pity

Using emotional appeals to support or refute an argument, rather than facts or evidence.

Ad Hominem

A logical fallacy where an argument attacks the person making it instead of addressing the issue at hand.

Tu Quoque

Type of fallacy where an argument is dismissed by pointing out the hypocrisy of the person making the argument.

Slippery Slope

logical fallacy where a minor action leads to a chain of events resulting in a significant consequence.

Post Hoc/False Cause

A logical fallacy that assumes a causal relationship between two events just because one event happened before the other. It ignores other possible explanations and evidence that could disprove the causal connection.

Circular Reasoning

A logical fallacy that uses the conclusion as one of the premises in the argument. It assumes what it's trying to prove, making the argument invalid.

Straw Man

A logical fallacy where an argument is misrepresented in order to make it easier to attack or refute. It involves attacking a weaker or distorted version of an opponent's argument rather than the actual argument they made.

False Authority

It's a logical fallacy that can mislead people into accepting false information from figures of authority.

Red Herring

fallacy that distracts from the main argument by introducing irrelevant information or arguments.

Appeal to/from Ignorance

A fallacy where an argument relies on the lack of evidence against or for a claim. E.g. "There's no proof that aliens don't exist, so they must exist."

Ad Populum/Bandwagon

A fallacy that suggests something is true or right because many people believe or do it.

Either/Or

fallacy or persuasive technique in which an argument is constructed so as to imply the necessity of choosing one of only two alternatives. 

Weak Analogy

a comparison that lacks relevant similarities between two things. It is a flawed argument that uses an irrelevant or superficial similarity to support a conclusion.

No True Scotsman

Logical fallacy where someone redefines a group to exclude counterexamples to their argument. For example, "No true Scotsman would ever do that."

Gambler’s Fallacy

Believing that an event is more likely to occur because it has not happened recently.

Pro Hominem

Fallacy that directs attention away from an argument by evoking a positive emotional response to the person making it.

Hasty Generalization

logical fallacy where a conclusion is drawn based on insufficient or biased evidence.

Fallacy Fallacy

a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that an argument is false simply because the argument contains a fallacy.

Cherrypicking

The fallacious practice of selecting data that is in your best interest, while overlooking other available data

Appeal to Tradition

A logical fallacy wherein a conclusion is accepted as true because “it’s the way its always been”.