Logicall Fallacy Terms

AP LANG

Faulty Analogy

A type of logical fallacy where a weak analogy leads to an incorrect conclusion.

Sentimental Appeal

It appeals to emotion and is the attempt to persuade somebody based on an emotional hook; pathos.

Begging the Question

An argument assumes the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it. Assumption without proof.

Red Herring

An argument that distracts the audience from the issue in question through the introduction of some irrelevancy.

Either or Choice (False Dilemma)

The fallacy of presenting only two choices, outcomes, or sides to an argument as the only possibilities when more are available.

Bandwagon

Try to get everyone on board. If everyone else believes in this, the reader should as well.

Appeal to Tradition

Arguing that something is right solely because it has been accepted or practiced for a long time.

Non-Sequitur

Any argument that does not follow from the previous statements.

Dogmatism

The tendency to lay down principles as true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others.

Oversimplification

When a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument.

Ad Populum

To make an appeal to what most people think, like, or believe, instead of justifying their position with evidence.

Equivocation

Occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and another meaning in another position.

Moral Equivalence

To deny a moral comparison that can be made of two sides in a conflict.

Appeal to False Authority

Individual cited isn’t an expert at all, but is merely someone famous.

Hasty Generalization

Base an argument on insufficient evidence; drawing conclusions too quickly and not considering the whole issue.

Scare Tactics

Ways of achieving a particular result by frightening people so much that they do what you want them to do.

Ad-Hominem

Ignore the issue and attack the person. Writers attempt to refute the claim of opposition by bringing in the opposition’s character into question.

Slippery Slope

A person asserts that a relatively small step will lead to a chain of events that result in a drastic change or a negative outcome.

Cause/Effect Post hoc ergo

Because a situation happened after an event, that situation is the cause of that event.

Guilt by Association

Guilt ascribed to someone not because there is evidence against them, but because of their association with someone who is guilty.

Straw Man

A distortion of someone else’s argument to make it easier to attack or refute.

Slanting

Occurs when someone deliberately biases something in their favor.

Circular Reasoning

An argument that assumes the very thing it is trying to prove is true.

Appeal to Ignorance

To argue that your conclusion must be true because there’s no evidence against it.

Tu Quoque Fallacy

Claiming that someone’s argument must be false because it is not consistent with their past actions or words.

The Alphabet Soup

A language that is confusing because it contains a lot of abbreviations and acronyms that are hard for most people to understand.

Politically Correct

Language that seems intended to give the least amount of offense. Avoid offense or disadvantages to members in particular groups.

Genetic Fallacy

This conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth.