False Dilemma: two
choices are given when in fact there are three or more options.
From Ignorance: because something is not known to be
true, it is
assumed to be
false
Slippery Slope: a series of increasingly unacceptable
consequences is drawn
Complex Question: two
unrelated points are
conjoined as a
single proposition
Appeal to Force: the reader is
persuaded to agree by force
Appeal to Pity: the reader is persuaded to agree by sympathy
Consequences: the reader is warned of unacceptable
consequences
Prejudicial Language: value or
moral goodness is attached to
believing the
author
Popularity: a
proposition is argued to be true because it is widely
held to be true
Changing the Subject
Attacking the Person:
1.the person's
character is attacked
2.the person's
circumstances are noted
3.the person does not
practise what is
preached
Appeal to Authority:
1.the authority is not an
expert in the
field
2.experts in the field
disagree
3.the authority was
joking,
drunk, or in some other way not
being
serious
Anonymous Authority: the authority in question is not named
Style Over Substance: the manner in which an argument (or
arguer) is presented is felt to
affect the truth of the conclusion
Hasty Generalization: the sample is too small to support an
inductive generalization about a
population
Unrepresentative Sample: the sample is unrepresentative of the
sample as a whole
False Analogy: the two objects or events being compared are
relevantly
dissimilar
Slothful Induction: the conclusion of a strong
inductive argument
is denied despite the evidence to the contrary
Fallacy of Exclusion: evidence which would change the outcome
of an inductive argument is excluded from consideration
Accident: a generalization is applied when circumstances suggest
that there should be an
exception
Converse Accident: an exception is applied in circumstances
where a generalization should apply
Post Hoc: because one thing follows another, it is held to cause
the other
Joint effect: one thing is held to cause another when in fact they
are both the joint effects of an underlying cause
Insignificant: one thing is held to cause another, and it does, but it
is insignificant compared to other causes of the effect
Wrong Direction: the direction between cause and effect is
reversed
Complex Cause: the cause identified is only a part of the entire
cause of the effect
Begging the Question: the truth of the conclusion is assumed by
the premises
Irrelevant Conclusion: an argument in defense of one conclusion
instead proves a different conclusion
Straw Man: the author attacks an argument different from (and
weaker than) the opposition's best argument
Equivocation: the same term is used with two different meanings
Amphiboly: the structure of a sentence allows two different
interpretations
Accent: the emphasis on a word or phrase suggests a meaning
contrary to what the sentence actually says
Composition: because the attributes of the parts of a whole have
a certain property, it is argued that the whole has that property
Division: because the whole has a certain property, it is argued
that the parts have that property
Affirming the Consequent: any argument of the form: If A then B,
B, therefore A
Denying the Antecedent: any argument of the form: If A then B,
Not A, thus Not B
Inconsistency: asserting that contrary or contradictory statements
are both true
Fallacy of Four Terms: a
syllogism has four terms
Undistributed Middle: two separate categories are said to be
connected because they share a common property
Illicit Major: the predicate of the conclusion talks about all of
something, but the premises only mention some cases of the term
in the predicate
Illicit Minor: the subject of the conclusion talks about all of
something, but the premises only mention some cases of the term
in the subject
Fallacy of Exclusive Premises: a syllogism has two
negative
premises
Fallacy of Drawing an Affirmative Conclusion From a
Negative Premise: as the name implies
Existential Fallacy: a particular conclusion is drawn from
universal premises
Subverted Support: (The
phenomenon being explained doesn't
exist)
Non-support: (Evidence for the phenomenon being explained is
biased)
Untestability: (The
theory which explains cannot be tested)
Limited Scope: (The theory which explains can only explain one
thing)
Limited Depth: (The theory which explains does not appeal to
underlying causes)
Fallacies of Definition
Too Broad: (The definition includes items which should not be
included)
Too Narrow: (The definition does not include all the items which
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