logical fallacies

Ad hominem: Latin for "against the man." When a writer attacks the integrity or character of his or her opponents
instead of the merits of the issue. This logical fallacy is also known as "mudslinging."
Ad populum (Bandwagon): A fallacy based on the assumption that the opinion of the majority is always valid: everyone
believes it, so you should too
Begging the Question: often called circular reasoning, begging the question occurs when the believability of the
evidence depends on the believability of the claim. Begging the question assumes the very fact that is supposedly being
proven. A logical fallacy.
False Analogy/Faulty Analogy: when two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of
connection between them.
Either-Or Reasoning: when the writer reduces an argument or issue to two polar opposites and ignores a relative logical
fallacy.
Hasty Generalization: a statement that asserts some broad truth based upon knowledge of specific cases.
Logical Fallacies: errors in reasoning used by speakers or writers, sometimes in order to dupe their audiences. Most
logical fallacies are based on insufficient evidence ("All redheads are passionate lovers"), or irrelevant information ("Don't
let him perform the surgery; he cheats on his wife"); or on faulty logic ("If you don't quit smoking you'll die of lung cancer").
Non-sequitur: Latin for "it does not follow." When one statement isn't logically connected to another.
Oversimplification: when a writer obscures or denies the complexity of the issues in an argument.
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc: Latin for "after this, therefore because of this." When a writer implies that because one thing
follows another, the first caused the second, but sequence is not a cause.
Red Herring: when a writer raises an irrelevant issue to draw attention away from the real issue: "Abortion may be a
woman's individual right, but have you considered the danger of the many germ-infested abortion clinics?" Here the side
issue of dirty clinics clouds the ethical issue of the right or wrong of having an abortion.
Slippery Slope: A fallacy in which a course of action is objected to on the grounds that once taken it will lead to additional
actions until some undesirable consequence results.
Straw man: when a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak. Setting up
a straw man diverts attention from the real issues.
Appeal to Authority: Falsely appealing to the credibility or authority of a celebrity or public figure with respect to matters
outside his/her area of knowledge.
Appeal to Pity: Falsely appealing to one’s sympathy. The argument is shadowed by emotion rather than the logical
facts/evidence.
Appeal to Ignorance: An argument that states that something is true because there is no evidence to prove it is false (or
vice versa).