Logical Fallacies

Attacking your opponent's character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument.

• ad hominem

• composition/division

• anecdotal

• strawman

• tu quoque

Avoiding having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser - answering criticism with criticism.

• special pleading

• ad hominem

• to quoque

• the texas sharpshooter

• genetic

Moving the goalposts to create exceptions when a claim is shown to be false.

• personal incredulity

• begging the question

• appeal to nature

• special pleading

• the texas sharpshooter

Using double meanings or vagueries of language to mislead or misrepresent the truth.

• ambiguity

• tu quoque

• bandwagon

• anecdotal

• the fallacy fallacy

Asserting that if we allow A to happen, then Z will consequently happen too, therefore A should not happen.

• the gambler's fallacy

• slippery slope

• appeal to authority

• composition/division

• false cause

Judging something good or bad on the basis of where it comes from, or from whom it comes.

• no true Scotsman

• ad hominem

• strawman

• genetic

• appeal to emotion

Using personal experience or an isolated example instead of a valid argument, especially to dismiss statistics.

• anecdotal

• middle ground

• composition/division

• burden of proof

• personal incredulity

Presuming that because a claim has been poorly argued, or a fallacy has been made, that it is necessarily wrong.

• special pleading

• the fallacy fallacy

• tu quoque

• ambiguity

• black-or-white

Appealing to popularity or the fact that many people do something as an attempted form of validation.

• no true Scotsman

• appeal to authority

• bandwagon

• strawman

• burden of proof

Making what could be called an appeal to purity as a way to dismiss relevant criticisms or flaws of an argument.

• no true Scotsman

• appeal to nature

• appeal to emotion

• middle ground

• loaded question