AP Lang Fallisies

STUDY

Ad Hominem

A fallacy that attempts to invalidate an opponents position based on a personal trait or fact about the opponent rather than through logic. Example: Katherine is a bad choice for mayor because she didn’t grow up in this town. 

Red herring

An attempt to shift focus from the debate at hand by introducing an irrelevant point. Example: Losing a tooth can be scary, but have you heard about the Tooth Fairy? 

Straw Man

A fallacy that argues against a hyperbolic, inaccurate, version of the opposition rather than their actual argument. Example: Erin thinks we need to stop using all plastics, right now, to save the planet from climate change. 

Equivocation

A statement crafted to mislead or confuse readers or listeners by using multiple meaning or interpretations of a word or simply through unclear phrasing. Example: While I have a clear plan for the campus budget that accounts for every dollar spent, my opponent simply wants to throw money at special interest projects. 

Slippery slope

The arguer claims a specific series of events will follow one starting point, typically with no supporting evidence for this chain of events. Example: If we make an exception for Bijal’s service dog, then other people will want to bring their dogs. Then everybody will bring their dog, and before you know it, our restaurant will be overrun with dogs, their slobber, their hair, and all the noise they make, and nobody will want to eat here anymore.

Hasty Generalization

a statement made after considering just one or a few examples rather than relying on more extensive research to back up the claim. It’s important to keep in mind that what constitutes sufficient research depends on the issue at hand and the statement being made about it.  Example: I felt nauseated both times I ate pizza from Vito’s, so I must be allergic to something in pizza. 

Appeal to Authority

the arguer claims an authority figure’s expertise to support a claim despite this expertise being irrelevant or overstated. Example: If you want to be healthy, you need to stop drinking coffee. I read it on a fitness blog. 

False Dilemma

also known as a false dichotomy, claims there are only two options in a given situation. Often, these two options are extreme opposites of each other, failing to acknowledge that other, more reasonable, options exist. Example: If you don’t support my decision, you were never really my friend. 

Bandwagon Fallacy

the arguer claims that a certain action is the right thing to do because it’s popular.  Example: Of course it’s fine to wait until the last minute to write your paper. Everybody does it!

Appeal to Ignorance

a claim that something must be true because it hasn’t been proven false. It can also be a claim that something must be false because it hasn’t been proven true. This is also known as the burden of proof fallacy.  Example: There must be fairies living in our attic because nobody’s ever proven that there aren’t fairies living in our attic.

Circular Argument

one that uses the same statement as both the premise and the conclusion. No new information or justification is introduced.  Example: Peppers are the easiest vegetable to grow because I think peppers are the easiest vegetable to grow. 

Sunk Cost Fallacy

the arguer justifies their decision to continue a specific course of action by the amount of time or money they’ve already spent on it. Example:  I’m not enjoying this book, but I bought it, so I have to finish reading it. 

Appeal to Pity

attempts to sway a reader’s or listener’s opinion by provoking them emotionally.  Example:  I know I should have been on time for the interview, but I woke up late and felt really bad about it, then the stress of being late made it hard to concentrate on driving here.

Causul fallacy

one that implies a relationship between two things where one can’t actually be proven. Example: When ice cream sales are up, so are shark attacks. Therefore, buying ice cream increases your risk of being bitten by a shark. 

Appeal to Hypocrisy

also known as a tu quoque fallacy, is a rebuttal that responds to one claim with reactive criticism rather than with a response to the claim itself.  Example: “You don’t have enough experience to be the new leader.” “Neither do you!”