Rhetorical Fallacies

Identify the fallacy.

• faulty analogy

• bandwagon

• ad hominem

• circular reasoning

Identify the fallacy.

• either/or choices

• scare tactics

• ad hominem

• circular reasoning

Identify the fallacy.

• either/or choices

• scare tactics

• ad hominem

• circular reasoning

Identify the fallacy.

• either/or choices

• scare tactics

• false authority

• circular reasoning

Substituting a person's actual position with a misrepresented (and usually weaker) version of their argument.

• straw man argument

• appeal to nature

• non sequitur

• guilt by association

Using fear to sway people by exaggerating possible dangers well beyond their statistical likelihood

Ex: "If you don't buy this product, you risk injury and death."

• Slippery Slope

• Scare Tactics

• Appeal to False Authority

• Straw Man

Imagine you're in a heated debate club meeting at school. Evelyn is passionately arguing her point, but instead of using logical reasons, she starts appealing to everyone's emotions. Which fallacy is Evelyn using?

• Straw man

• Ad populum

• Slippery slope

• Red herring

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

• appeal to nature

• ad hominem

• non sequitur

• bandwagon fallacy

Ad Populum

• Attempting to prove sth is correct because everyone believes it is correct

• Example: The majority of our countrymen think we should have military operations overseas; therefore, it's the right thing to do

• Instead arguing against what so's actually saying, you set up a straw man version of what they're saying, then destroy

• Example: Before you listen to her, I should remind you that she has been charged with embezzlement

What is Ad hominem?

• Talking badly about people instead of addressing their argument

• Misrepresenting the original argument and then arguing against the misrepresentation

• Assuming that because two things happened, one caused the other

• Making it seem that one side of the argument opens the door to a slide toward the worst possible scenario