Module 4.6

Fallacies - common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument

• Ad hominem - attacking the person instead of the argument

• Appeal to ignorance - ignorance as evidence

• Argument from (false) authority - from someone who isn’t qualified to speak

• Bandwagon fallacy - because everyone does it, or believes it, it is true

• Circular argument (begging the question) - repeating the claim but not providing support

• Dogmatism - unwilling to consider opponents’ argument

• Faulty analogy - saying 2 things are more alike than they really are

• Non-Sequitur - something that does not follow the premise

• Red herring - diverting the attention by changing the subject

• Slippery slope - a change in policy or law will lead to dire consequences

• Straw man - creating a false scenario and then attacking it