Flashcards › Test Prep & College › Logic
Logical Fallacies
Common errors in reasoning, each with a plain description and example.
0 of 76 known
76 cards
- Ad hominemFallacyAttacking the person instead of the argumentYou can't trust her plan; she's always late.
- Straw manFallacyMisrepresenting someone's view to make it easier to attack
- False dilemmaFallacyPresenting only two options when more existYou're either with us or against us.
- Slippery slopeFallacyClaiming one step will inevitably lead to extreme results without evidence
- Appeal to authorityFallacyTreating a claim as true only because an authority said it, especially outside their field
- Appeal to popularityFallacyArguing something is true because many people believe it
- BandwagonFallacyUrging someone to do it because everyone else is
- Appeal to traditionFallacyArguing something is right because it has always been done
- Appeal to noveltyFallacyArguing something is better because it is new
- Appeal to emotionFallacyUsing feelings in place of evidence
- Appeal to pityFallacyUsing sympathy to win agreement
- Appeal to fearFallacyUsing scare tactics instead of evidence
- Appeal to natureFallacyClaiming something is good because it is natural
- Appeal to ignoranceFallacyClaiming something is true because it has not been proven false
- Circular reasoningFallacyThe conclusion is assumed in the premiseHe is honest because he never lies.
- Begging the questionFallacyTreating the thing to be proved as already true
- Hasty generalizationFallacyDrawing a broad conclusion from too few examples
- Anecdotal evidenceFallacyUsing a personal story as proof of a general claim
- Cherry-pickingFallacyChoosing only data that supports your claim
- Post hoc ergo propter hocFallacyAssuming A caused B because B followed A
- Correlation is not causationFallacyTwo things changing together does not show one causes the other
- Red herringFallacyIntroducing an irrelevant topic to distract
- Tu quoqueFallacyDismissing a point because the speaker does the same thing
- Genetic fallacyFallacyJudging an idea by its origin instead of its merits
- Guilt by associationFallacyRejecting an idea because of who supports it
- Poisoning the wellFallacyDiscrediting a source before it can speak
- EquivocationFallacyUsing a word in two different senses in one argument
- Composition fallacyFallacyAssuming what is true of parts is true of the whole
- Division fallacyFallacyAssuming what is true of the whole is true of each part
- Burden of proof shiftFallacyDemanding others disprove a claim instead of supporting it
- No true ScotsmanFallacyRedefining a group to exclude counterexamples
- Moving the goalpostsFallacyChanging the standard of proof after it has been met
- Loaded questionFallacyA question that contains an unfair assumptionHave you stopped cheating?
- Middle ground fallacyFallacyAssuming the truth must lie halfway between two positions
- Texas sharpshooterFallacyFinding patterns after the fact and ignoring the rest of the data
- Gambler's fallacyFallacyBelieving past random events change future odds
- Sunk cost fallacyFallacyContinuing because of what was already invested
- Special pleadingFallacyExcusing your own case from a rule without good reason
- False causeFallacyClaiming a causal link without proof
- Non sequiturFallacyA conclusion that does not follow from the premises
- Affirming the consequentFallacyIf P then Q; Q, therefore P (invalid)
- Denying the antecedentFallacyIf P then Q; not P, therefore not Q (invalid)
- Modus ponensFallacyIf P then Q; P; therefore Q (valid)
- Modus tollensFallacyIf P then Q; not Q; therefore not P (valid)
- SyllogismFallacyA deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion
- Deductive reasoningFallacyMoving from general premises to a certain conclusion
- Inductive reasoningFallacyMoving from specific cases to a probable general conclusion
- Sound argumentFallacyA valid argument with true premises
- Valid argumentFallacyA conclusion that follows logically from the premises
- Weak analogyFallacyComparing things that are not alike in relevant ways
- Ambiguity fallacyFallacyRelying on unclear wording to mislead
- Fallacy of the single causeFallacyBlaming one factor for a complex outcome
- Appeal to accomplishmentFallacyDismissing a claim because of someone's success or lack of it
- Argument from incredulityFallacyClaiming something is false because it is hard to imagine
- Naturalistic fallacyFallacyDeriving what ought to be from what is
- Survivorship biasFallacyFocusing on successes and overlooking the failures
- Confirmation biasFallacyFavoring information that fits existing beliefs
- False equivalenceFallacyTreating two very different things as equal
- Appeal to the stoneFallacyDismissing a claim as absurd without showing why
- Hasty conclusion from small sampleFallacyOvergeneralizing from limited cases
- Ad populumFallacyLatin name for appeal to the crowd
- Ad verecundiamFallacyLatin name for appeal to authority
- Ad ignorantiamFallacyLatin name for appeal to ignorance
- Argumentum ad baculumFallacyAppeal to force or threats
- Reductio ad absurdumFallacyShowing a claim is false by following it to an absurd result
- Ad nauseamFallacyRepeating a claim until people accept it
- Fallacy fallacyFallacyAssuming a conclusion is false because the argument for it is flawed
- Is-ought problemFallacyFacts alone do not tell us what we should do
- Occam's razorFallacyPrefer the simpler explanation that fits the facts
- Hume's guillotineFallacyAnother name for the is-ought gap
- Burden of proofFallacyThe person making a claim must support it
- FalsifiabilityFallacyA claim should be testable and possible to prove wrong
- Argument from silenceFallacyConcluding something from the lack of evidence against it
- Fallacy of composition exampleFallacyEach player is good, so the team must be good
- Appeal to moneyFallacyAssuming something is right because it is expensive or profitable
- WhataboutismFallacyDeflecting criticism by pointing to someone else's faults
Download this deck
- CSVExcel, Google Sheets, Numbers
- Anki / Quizlet (tab-separated)Import straight into Anki or Quizlet
- JSONFor programmers and apps
- Plain textOne card a line, “front : back”, ready for Peabody's flashcard maker to print
Want paper cards? Paste the plain-text download into the flashcard maker.