Logical Fallacies Act III

Logical Fallacies Act III

Logical Fallacies

Logic is a type of reasoning that applies strict rules to determine whether a statement is valid. A logical fallacy is a violation of those rules. Some common logical fallacies are:

Ad hominem: 

attacking a person instead of his or her arguments. (“You only believe that because you're undereducated.”)

Bandwagon (appeal to popularity): 

accepting a position because most people agree with it. (“Most people don't vote, so there's no point to it.”)

Circular reasoning: 

using an argument's conclusion as an assumption. (“It's alright to yell when you're angry because angry people yell.”)

False dilemma (either/or): 

presenting only two possible conclusions to a complex argument. (“If you love your country, you'll vote against this amendment.”)

False analogy: 

comparing two things that are not similar. (“People who like free samples are just like thieves who like money.”)

Hasty generalization: 

forming a general conclusion based on a few examples. (“I've been bitten by dogs, so I know that dogs usually bite people.”)

Non sequitur: 

a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence. (“Cars should be illegal because moving too fast is bad for people.”)

Post hoc: 

assuming cause and effect simply because one thing followed another. (“She ate a peanut butter sandwich yesterday, so that's what made her sick.”)

Red herring: 

a conclusion that changes the subject. (“I shouldn't have to write this paper because other people have already explored this topic.”)

Slippery slope: 

concluding that accepting something will lead to accepting something else. (“Letting children eat candy bars will lead to widespread obesity among young people.”)

Stereotyping: 

arbitrary statements about groups of people or things. (“French people don't like Americans very much.”)

Straw man: 

misrepresenting an opponent's position and then refuting that misrepresentation. (“While my opponent says she wants to lower income taxes, I support public school teachers, who are paid by our property taxes.”)

Multiple Choice

“Such a Christian that will not come to church but once in a month!” - Parris

• slippery slope

• ad hominem

• post hoc

Multiple Choice

“If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property — that's law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” - Giles

• slippery slope

• red herring

• hasty generalization

Multiple Choice

“[Y]ou are either lying now, or you were lying in the court, and in either case you have committed perjury and you will go to jail for it.”

- Danforth

• circular reasoning

• bandwagon (appeal to popularity)

• false dilemma (either/or)

Multiple Choice

“No uncorrupted man may fear this court, Mr. Hale.”

- Danforth

• circular reasoning

• ad hominem

• non sequitir

Multiple Choice

“All innocent and Christian people are happy for the courts in Salem!

These people are gloomy for it.”

- Danforth

• bandwagon

• stereotyping

• straw man