Logical fallacy

Logical fallacies, or logical errors, are erroneous, illogical, or misleading arguments or claims

• erroneous = contains an error of fact or
• illogical = draws a conclusion not supported by premises
• misleading = deliberately constructed to deceive or mislead

See Social Studies skills: Logical and observational fallacies & paradoxes for list of logical and observational fallacies regarding the Social Sciences.

Logical fallacies and tricks

• ad hominem
• ad populum / bandwagon appeal
• argument by exception
  • a fallacy of the particular, in which an argument is attacked based upon a single or rare instance of exception
  • ex.: "We're in a drought"
    • exception: "But it rained the other day"
    • fallacy: just because it rained once doesn't mean the drought is over
• begging the question
• broken leg fallacy
  • presents a solution for a problem caused by that or a related solution
  • i.e, break the leg, then offer to fix it
• circular argument
  • argument whose premise is its own conclusion
  • i.e., restates the argument rather than proving it
  • ex. "She's a great skater because she skates well"
• confusing credentials for evidence
  • i.e., "98% of dentists recommend flossing"
    • does not provide evidence for the benefits of flossing, just that supposed experts say so
• either/or
• fallacy of relevance
• false equivalence
  • illogical comparison of dissimilar subjects
  • i.e., comparing "apples to oranges"
• genetic fallacy
  • fallacy that of the origins of something determine its value
  • ex., the VW was designed by Hitler, and Hitler is evil, therefore the VW is evil
• hasty generalization
• ignoratio elenchi an argument that misses the point
• moral equivalence fallacy
  • illogically compares things of distinct moral or ethical dimensions
  • ex., "That politician who disagrees with me is a Nazi!"
• non sequitur
  • " Humpty Dumptying" or "Humpty Dumptyisms":
  • = an "arbitrary redefinition" like that used by Humpty Dumpty in "Alice in Wonderland"
  • who tells Alice, "“When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
• red herring
• strawman fallacy
  • = the target of an argument (the "strawman") has nothing to do with the actual argument
• either-or fallacy
  • incorrectly argues only two options or possibilities
• weak analogy
• see
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
  • Fallacies – The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (unc.edu)

See also

• Rhetorical analysis