Logical Fallacies Review

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What is the definition of Hasty Generalization?

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Making assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually because it is atypical or just too small).

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What is a common example of Hasty Generalization?

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Stereotypes about people, such as 'frat boys are drunkards' or 'grad students are nerdy.'

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Missing the Point

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• Definition: The argument's premises lead to a conclusion, but the conclusion reached by the speaker is not the one logically supported by those premises.

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Post hoc (false cause)

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This fallacy gets its name from the Latin phrase "post hoc, ergo propter hoc," which translates as "after this, therefore because of this." 

• Definition: Assuming that because B comes after A, A caused B.

  • Examples: "President Jones raised taxes, and then the rate of violent crime went up. Jones is responsible for the rise in crime.“

    • The increase in taxes might or might not be one factor in the rising crime rates, but the argument hasn't shown us that one caused the other. 

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Slippery Slope

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Definition: This fallacy occurs when someone argues that a particular event will set off a chain of negative events, leading to an extreme outcome, without sufficient proof that such a progression is inevitable.

• Example: "If we allow students to redo assignments for a better grade, soon no one will take deadlines seriously, and eventually, academic standards will collapse."

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False Comparison

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• Definition: This fallacy occurs when an argument is based on a comparison between two things that are not truly similar in the aspects that matter. If the differences outweigh the similarities, the analogy is misleading and the argument is flawed.

Example: "Cars and bicycles both have wheels and are used for transportation. Since we don't require a license to ride a bicycle, it makes no sense to require a license to drive a car."

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Bandwagon

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• Definition: Bandwagon is a logical fallacy that encourages people to adopt a belief or action because many others are doing so, implying popularity equals correctness.

• Example: Most of your classmates have signed up for the new online game. Shouldn’t you join them?

  •  This reasoning is flawed because the popularity of an idea or action does not guarantee its value or truth.

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Appeal to Pity

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• Definition: The appeal to pity takes place when an arguer tries to get people to accept a conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone.

Example: "I know the exam is graded based on performance, but you should give me an A. My cat has been sick, my car broke down, and I've had a cold, so it was really hard for me to study!"

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Appeal to Ignorance

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• Definition: This fallacy occurs when someone argues that a proposition is true simply because it has not been proven false, or vice versa.

Example: "No one has shown that aliens do not exist. Therefore, aliens must be real."

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Straw Man

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• Definition: The straw man fallacy involves distorting or oversimplifying someone else's argument, making it easier to criticize or reject. The real argument is ignored in favor of a weaker substitute.

Example: "People who support recycling think it will solve all our environmental problems. But that's unrealistic, so recycling isn't worth the effort."