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Logical Fallacies Study Guide

Overview of the Logical Fallacies Quiz Study Guide

  • Exam Details:
    • Dates: April 8 (AC), April 9 (BD)
    • Worth: 20 points
    • Format: 20 questions (matching terms with definitions, applying terms to examples)

Types of Fallacies

Fallacies of Pathos

  • Argument to the People (Appealing to Stirring Symbols)
    • Appeals to the emotions of the audience, often using charged language and imagery.
  • Appeal to Ignorance
    • Claiming something is true because it hasn't been proven false, or vice versa.
  • Appeal to Popularity—Bandwagon
    • Suggesting that a claim is true because many people believe it.
  • Appeal to Pity
    • Manipulating emotions to elicit pity in order to gain support for a claim.
  • Red Herring
    • Introducing irrelevant material to divert attention from the original issue.

Fallacies of Ethos

  • Appeal to False Authority
    • Using an authority figure to endorse a claim when the authority lacks relevant expertise.
  • Ad Hominem—to the Person
    • Attacking the character of the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
  • Poisoning the Well
    • Presenting adverse information about a opponent to undermine their argument before they even present it.
  • Straw Man
    • Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.

Fallacies of Logos

  • Hasty Generalization
    • Making a rushed conclusion based on insufficient evidence.
  • Part for the Whole
    • Assuming that what is true for a part is true for the whole (or vice versa).
  • Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc
    • Assuming causation from correlation, specifically: if one event follows another, the first must be the cause of the second.
  • Begging the Question—Circular Reasoning
    • An argument that assumes what it is trying to prove, creating a lack of evidence.
  • False Dilemma—Either/Or
    • Presenting two options as the only possibilities when more exist.
  • Slippery Slope
    • Suggesting that a minor action will lead to major and oftentimes ludicrous consequences.
  • False Analogy
    • Making a misleading comparison between two unrelated things.
  • Non-sequitur
    • A conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises.
  • Loaded Label or Definition
    • Using emotionally charged language to define an idea, influencing perception without logical support.