Logical Fallacies Quiz

Study Notes

Red Herring: A diversionary tactic used to avoid the central issues. Instead of addressing opposing arguments, it shifts focus.
Ad Hominem: Attacks the character of a person rather than their arguments or opinions.
Black and White: Oversimplification of an argument, reducing it to only two options or sides.
Circular Argument: Restates the argument, failing to provide actual proof or evidence.
Straw Man: Misrepresents an opponent's viewpoint to create a weaker, easier-to-attack argument.
Hasty Generalisation: Drawing a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence, rushing to judgment before gathering all relevant facts.
Slippery Slope: Based on the premise that if A happens, a series of events will follow, leading inevitably to Z. This equates A and Z, suggesting that preventing A is necessary to prevent Z.

Fallacies are errors in reasoning that weaken arguments.
They can be illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points.
Red Herring is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues.
- It often avoids opposing arguments instead of addressing them directly.
Ad Hominem is an attack on a person's character instead of their arguments.
- It focuses on the individual rather than the logic of their ideas.
Black and White fallacy presents an oversimplified argument with only two choices.
- It ignores the possibility of other options or nuances.
Circular Argument restates the claim instead of providing evidence.
- It fails to offer genuine support for the argument.
Straw Man misrepresents an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks this distorted version.
- It creates a weaker argument to make it easier to criticize.
Hasty Generalization draws a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence.
- It jumps to conclusions without considering all relevant facts.
Slippery Slope argues that a small step will lead to a chain of negative events.
- It establishes a cause-and-effect relationship without sufficient evidence.