Rhetorical Appeals, Logical Fallacies, and Argumentation

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key rhetorical appeals, common logical fallacies, components of argument construction, and terms for evaluating arguments.

Ethos

An appeal grounded in the speaker's credibility, character, or perceived trustworthiness.

Pathos

An appeal to the audience's emotions, values, or sympathies.

Logos

An appeal to reason through evidence, examples, or logical connections.

Kairos

The timeliness and appropriateness of an argument for its particular moment and circumstances.

Straw Man

Distorting an opponent's position into a weaker or more extreme version that is easier to attack.

Ad Hominem

Attacking a person's character or traits instead of addressing the person's argument.

Hasty Generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples.

False Equivalence

Treating two things as equally serious, meaningful, or comparable despite important differences.

Black-and-White

Presenting only two choices or positions when other reasonable alternatives exist.

Slippery Slope

Claiming, without sufficient support, that one action will inevitably trigger a chain of increasingly extreme consequences.

Line of Reasoning

The logical progression of claims, evidence, and explanations that develops an argument.

Warrant

The reasoning or assumption that explains why particular evidence supports a claim.

Counterargument

An opposing claim or perspective that challenges the writer's position.

Concession

An acknowledgment that an opposing position has some merit.

Rebuttal / Refutation

A reasoned response that challenges or weakens an opposing claim using logic or evidence.

Qualifier

A word or phrase that limits the scope or certainty of a claim.

Tenable

Capable of being defended with sound reasoning and sufficient evidence.

Undermine

To weaken a claim by exposing flaws in its evidence, assumptions, or reasoning.

Equivocation

A fallacy that shifts between different meanings of a word or phrase within the same argument.