Rhetoric and faulty reasoning

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Red herring

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A tactic that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue.

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Begging the question

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A logical fallacy where the conclusion is assumed in one of the premises.

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Straw man

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A misrepresentation of an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

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Evidence

Back

Facts, statistics, and other information that support a claim or reason.

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Argument

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A statement that expresses a position on an issue and attempts to support that position.

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Faulty reasoning

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Logical errors in reasoning that undermine the validity of an argument.

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Ad hominem

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A fallacy that attacks the person making an argument rather than the argument itself.

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Slippery slope

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A fallacy that suggests a minor action will lead to major and often ludicrous consequences.

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Appeal to authority

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A fallacy that relies on the opinion of a perceived authority rather than evidence.

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False dichotomy

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A fallacy that presents two options as the only possibilities when more exist.