Argument Fallacies with Examples

My sister likes to watch romcoms therefore I should take my girlfriend to see a romcom for her birthday since that’s what girls like.

• Hasty Generalization

• Abusive Ad Hominem

• Circular Reasoning

• No Fallacy

Hunter, Kasra, and Yong Jia plagiarized parts of their research papers last year, therefore most students are likely to plagiarize parts of their paper this year.

• Hasty Generalization

• False Causality

• Circular Reasoning

• No Fallacy

I dyed my hair blue and the next day I got an A on my Science test. I’m going to dye my hair before every test so I can keep getting A’s!

• Hasty Genealization

• False Causality

• Texas Sharpshooter

• No Fallacy

Last time you went to soccer practice when it was cold and rainy, you got sick the next week. If you go to your practice when it’s cold and rainy, you’ll be too sick for school next week!

• False Causality

• Strawman

• Ad Populum

• No Fallacy

If you don’t get into Stanford you’ll end up working at McDonald’s for the rest of your life

• False Causality

• False Dilemma

• Ad Populum

• No Fallacy

If we legalize marijuana then next it’ll be heroin, and then crack, and then everyone will just be a bunch of junkies!

• Slippery Slope

• False Causality

• Strawman

• No Fallacy

If we let you get a pet goldfish today, then tomorrow you’ll want a rabbit, and soon a cat, and then a dog, and then a horse and we just don’t have room for all these animals!

• Slippery Slope

• False Causality

• Strawman

• No Fallacy

The Office is the #1 re-watched show in television history. You should watch it, too!

• Ad Populum

• Strawman

• Texas Sharpshooter

• No Fallacy

President A is the best President in American history because they won 80% of the popular vote.

• Ad Populum

• Strawman

• Texas Sharpshooter

• No Fallacy

No one has proof Bigfoot doesn’t exist, so Bigfoot must exist!

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Ad Populum

• Appeal to False Authority

• No Fallacy