Logical Fallacies

Ad Hominem

When someone tries to discredit another's argument with a personal attack.

Hasty Generalization

Making a claim based on insufficient evidence.

Red Herring

Changing or distracting from the relevant portion of an argument.

Tu Quoque

Accusing someone of hypocrisy instead of addressing their argument.

Slippery Slope

Rejecting a course of action by claiming it will lead to an undesirable chain reaction.

Special Pleasing

Applying special rules to some while exempting others without justification.

Loaded Question

A question that already contains an assumption.

False Dilemma Fallacy

Misrepresenting an issue by presenting only two options when more exist.

Strawman Fallacy

Rebutting an argument by twisting its wording.

Circular Reasoning

Arguing in a way that assumes what it is trying to prove.

Appeal to Authority

Using the position of a figure as evidence for an argument.

Appeal to Nature

Claiming natural things are good and unnatural ones are bad.

Composition Fallacy

Assuming what is true of part is true of the whole.

Division Fallacy

Arguing that what is true of the whole must be true for all its parts.

Affirming the Consequent

Assuming a true statement holds true under certain circumstances.

Anecdotal Fallacy

Using personal stories to form a broad opinion.

Appeal to Emotion

Manipulating emotions to persuade without evidence.

Burden of Proof

Removing the need to provide proof for a claim.

No True Scotsman

Excluding someone from a category by claiming they aren't sufficiently 'pure'.

Texas Sharpshooter

Making a conclusion first, then looking for supporting data.

Suppressed Correlative

Redefining two options to make one encompass the other.

Personality Incredulity

Believing something must be easy to understand to be true.

Ambiguity Fallacy

Using unclear language that doesn't support the argument.

Genetic Fallacy

Accepting or rejecting an argument based on its origin.

Middle Ground Fallacy

Assuming the truth is always in the middle of two extremes.

Affirming the Disjunct

Misinterpreting a situation as mutually exclusive.

Appeal to Tradition

Dismissing evidence in favor of long-standing beliefs.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Continuing based on prior investments rather than current value.

Appeal to Ignorance

Claiming something is true because it hasn't been disproven.

Continuum Fallacy

Ignoring distinctions due to a continuum between states.

Equivocation

Using ambiguous language to mislead.

Faulty Analogy

Drawing a comparison based on a single shared property.

Denying the Antecedent

Wrongly inferring that the inverse of a condition is true.

False Cause

Assuming causation based on a false correlation.

Definist Fallacy

Defining a term to bolster an argument in a biased manner.

Ecological Fallacy

Generalizing findings about a group to individuals inadequately.

Etymological Fallacy

Assuming the original meaning of a word is its true meaning.

Quoting Out of Context

Distorting statements by omitting crucial surrounding information.

False Equivalence

Making an inappropriate comparison based on flawed reasoning.

Historian's Fallacy

Assuming past decision-makers had the same knowledge as present-day analysts.

Inflation of Conflict

Exaggerating disagreements to undermine claims.

Incomplete Comparison

Failing to provide full context for claims, often in advertising.

Ludic Fallacy

Confusing uncertainties in games with real-life uncertainties.

Moralistic Fallacy

Making factual claims based on moral acceptability.

Nirvana Fallacy

Comparing realistic solutions to idealized versions and dismissing the former.

Proof by Assertion

Accepting a claim as true simply by repeating it.

Cherry Picking

Presenting selective evidence that supports an argument while ignoring counter evidence.

Psychologist's Fallacy

Assuming personal experiences accurately reflect reality.

Reification Fallacy

Treating abstract concepts as concrete realities.

Retrospective Determinism

Assuming past events were inevitable based on hindsight.

Thought Terminating Cliché

Using phrases to halt debate that masquerade as common wisdom.

Fallacy of the Single Cause

Attributing an outcome to a single cause when multiple factors likely contributed.

Appeal to the Stone

Dismissing an argument as absurd without justification.

Ignoratio Elenchi

When an argument fails to address the central issue despite being logical.

Circumstantial Ad Hominem

Discounting an argument based on the arguer's circumstances.

Tone Policing

Attacking the emotional delivery rather than the content of an argument.

Association Fallacy

Assuming two things are alike because they share a characteristic.

Appeal to Accomplishment

Using achievements as validation over reasoning.

Courtier's Reply

Dismissing critiques based on perceived knowledge.

Appeal to Consequences

Considering a claim true or false based on its outcomes, not evidence.

Appeal to Novelty

Claiming something is superior simply because it is new.

Bulverism

Invalidating an argument based solely on the identity of the presenter.

Chronological Snobbery

Assuming modern ideas are superior simply because they are new.

Entitled to My Opinion Fallacy

Using entitlement as a shield against logical debate.

Two Wrongs Make a Right

Countering wrongdoing with another misconduct without justification.

Vacuous Truth

A claim that is technically true but lacks significant meaning.

Fallacy Fallacy

Assuming a conclusion must be false if an argument contains a fallacy.