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.