Logical Fallacies

​Logical fallacies are errors in logic and reasoning that can occur in a writer’s or speaker’s argument. Like rhetorical devices, logical fallacies attempt to persuade the audience. However, unlike rhetorical devices, logical fallacies contain misleading and often false statements.

Also known as Fallacious Reasoning

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of Slippery Slope?

If you don't brush your teeth this morning...

• ...all of your teeth will fall out and no one will ever offer you a job.

• ...you will regret it halfway through the day.

• ...you will be sure to remember to brush them this evening.

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of Slippery Slope?

Football is dangerous! If you let your son play football...

• ... he might get a concussion from a hard tackle.

• ....he runs the risk of getting injured during a game or practice.

• ...he will suffer head injury after head injury, until he can no longer walk straight or spell his own name!

• distorting or misrepresenting someone's argument so that it is weaker and easier to defeat

Straw Man

​

Multiple Choice

Identify the Fallacy

• Slippery Slope

• Straw Man

Hasty Generalization

• conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts

• EXAMPLE: Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course.

• Example: My Hyundai Tuscon broke down after 2 weeks, so all Hyundai's are unreliable.

Multiple Choice

Which is an example of hasty generalization?

• Men love football since my dad is a huge 49er's fan.

• The Dallas Cowboys are also known as the Cowgirls

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of Ad Hominem

• Green Peace's strategies aren't effective because they are all dirty, lazy hippies.

• If I don't go to school, I won't graduate.

• Lisa is a very generous person

Appeal to Authority

• assuming a point is true because of the power of the person that said it

• EXAMPLE: A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best way to start the day because athlete Michael Jordan says that it is what he eats every day for breakfast.

​Appeal to Authority example: This advertisement aims to convince people to drink Gatorade by featuring Michael Jordan (the GOAT!) enjoying it.

Multiple Choice

Which logical fallacy involves misrepresenting the other viewpoint by taking a small piece of an argument, and distorting (twisting) the words around to fit your position?

Ex.) Person A: "Harsh prison sentences are causing more problems than they’re solving."

Person B: "So what you’re saying is we should just let all the criminals go free!"

• Ad Hominem

• Hasty generalization

• Slippery slope

• Strawman

Multiple Choice

Which fallacy involves making a big general statement or conclusion, based on a small amount of evidence.

"I visited a new city, but the first person I met was really rude to me. Thus, everyone from that city is rude."

• Hasty generalization

• Appeal to Authority

• Ad hominem (personal attack)

• Slippery slope

Multiple Choice

Which fallacy involves making the conclusion that if this happens, then it will lead to a chain of events going downhill to a very unlikely and usually bad outcome?

"If you don’t do your homework, you won’t get good grades, and you won’t get into a good college, so you won’t get a good job and your life will be ruined!

• Ad hominem (personal attack)

• Hasty generalization

• Slippery slope

• Strawman

Multiple Choice

An argument based on a personal attack on someone's character.

• hasty generalization

• ad hominem

• slippery slope

• straw man

Multiple Choice

Mayor Blake wants to create more bicycle lanes in Lowell. Why is he forcing us to give up our cars and bike everywhere? What type of fallacious reasoning is this?

• Slippery Slope

• Ad Hominem

• Straw Man

Multiple Choice

The Dallas Cowboys lost their first game, that means they will not win the Superbowl (again).

• Ad Hominem

• Straw Man

• Hasty generalization

• Slippery Slope

Open Ended

Create your own example of a logical fallacy (fallacious reasoning). Make sure to include what type of fallacy it is.