Logical Fallacies PDF

‭LOGICAL‬‭FALLACIES‬ ‭.‬‭Scare‬‭Tactics‬ 1 ‭To‬‭reduce‬‭complicated‬‭issues‬‭to‬‭simple‬‭threats‬‭or‬‭to‬‭exaggerate‬‭a‬‭possible‬‭danger‬‭well‬‭beyond‬‭its‬‭actual‬‭likelihood.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭Because‬‭of‬‭the‬‭possibility‬‭of‬‭a‬‭terrorist‬‭hijacking‬‭or‬‭a‬‭mechanical‬‭failure,‬‭flying‬‭on‬‭a‬‭plan...

‭LOGICAL‬‭FALLACIES‬ ‭.‬‭Scare‬‭Tactics‬ 1 ‭To‬‭reduce‬‭complicated‬‭issues‬‭to‬‭simple‬‭threats‬‭or‬‭to‬‭exaggerate‬‭a‬‭possible‬‭danger‬‭well‬‭beyond‬‭its‬‭actual‬‭likelihood.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭Because‬‭of‬‭the‬‭possibility‬‭of‬‭a‬‭terrorist‬‭hijacking‬‭or‬‭a‬‭mechanical‬‭failure,‬‭flying‬‭on‬‭a‬‭plane‬‭is‬‭too‬‭dangerous‬‭and‬ E ‭should‬‭be‬‭avoided‬‭altogether.‬ ‭Example:‬‭Because‬‭of‬‭the‬‭possibility‬‭of‬‭poisoning‬‭of‬‭Halloween‬‭candy‬‭by‬‭some‬‭people‬‭who‬‭give‬‭it‬‭out‬‭to‬‭trick-or-treaters,‬ ‭communities‬‭should‬‭ban‬‭trick-or-treating.‬ ‭.‬‭Either/Or‬‭Choices‬ 2 ‭To‬‭reduce‬‭complicated‬‭questions,‬‭which‬‭can‬‭be‬‭effectively‬‭answered‬‭in‬‭multiple‬‭different‬‭ways,‬‭to‬‭only‬‭two,‬‭diametrically‬ ‭opposed,‬‭possible‬‭answers.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭Either‬‭you‬‭support‬‭the‬‭President‬‭in‬‭everything‬‭he‬‭says‬‭and‬‭does‬‭or‬‭you‬‭are‬‭not‬‭a‬‭patriotic‬‭American.‬ E ‭Example:‬‭Either‬‭you‬‭worship‬‭God‬‭or‬‭you‬‭worship‬‭Satan.‬ ‭.‬‭Slippery‬‭Slope‬ 3 ‭To‬‭greatly‬‭exaggerate‬‭the‬‭supposedly‬‭inevitable‬‭future‬‭consequences‬‭of‬‭an‬‭action‬‭by‬‭suggesting‬‭one‬‭small‬‭step‬‭will‬‭initiate‬ ‭a‬‭process‬‭that‬‭will‬‭necessarily‬‭lead‬‭the‬‭way‬‭to‬‭a‬‭much‬‭bigger‬‭result.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭If‬‭you‬‭restrict‬‭my‬‭right‬‭to‬‭say‬‭whatever‬‭I‬‭want‬‭anywhere‬‭I‬‭want‬‭however‬‭I‬‭want‬‭this‬‭is‬‭the‬‭beginning‬‭of‬ E ‭totalitarianism‬‭in‬‭America.‬ ‭Example:‬‭If‬‭we‬‭let‬‭one‬‭homosexual‬‭couple‬‭live‬‭on‬‭our‬‭street‬‭before‬‭you‬‭know‬‭it‬‭our‬‭neighborhood‬‭will‬‭start‬‭to‬‭become‬ ‭like‬‭Greenwich‬‭Village‬‭in‬‭New‬‭York‬‭or‬‭the‬‭Castro‬‭District‬‭in‬‭San‬‭Francisco.‬ ‭.‬‭Sentimentality‬ 4 ‭Relying‬‭entirely‬‭on‬‭manipulatively‬‭heart-warming‬‭or‬‭heart-wrenching‬‭appeals‬‭to‬‭emotion‬‭to‬‭win‬‭support‬‭for‬‭what‬‭has‬‭not‬ ‭been‬‭otherwise‬‭rationally‬‭justified.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭That‬‭boy‬‭scout‬‭troop‬‭made‬‭an‬‭old‬‭lady’s‬‭day‬‭by‬‭visiting‬‭and‬‭entertaining‬‭her‬‭in‬‭her‬‭nursing‬‭home;‬‭we‬‭should‬ E ‭give‬‭generously‬‭to‬‭the‬‭boy‬‭scouts‬‭as‬‭a‬‭result.‬ ‭Example:‬‭That‬‭celebrity‬‭is‬‭suffering‬‭a‬‭lot‬‭of‬‭pain‬‭and‬‭anguish‬‭after‬‭breaking‬‭up‬‭with‬‭his‬‭girlfriend‬‭and‬‭coming‬‭through‬ ‭drug‬‭and‬‭alcohol‬‭rehabilitation‬‭treatment;‬‭he‬‭is‬‭a‬‭role‬‭model‬‭for‬‭all‬‭of‬‭us,‬‭and‬‭needs‬‭us‬‭to‬‭support‬‭him‬‭by‬‭buying‬‭his‬ ‭albums‬‭and‬‭going‬‭to‬‭his‬‭movies.‬ ‭.‬‭Other‬‭Fallacious‬‭Appeals‬‭to‬‭Emotion‬ 5 ‭When‬‭emotion‬‭is‬‭substituted‬‭for‬‭reason‬‭and‬‭no‬‭attempt‬‭is‬‭made‬‭to‬‭indicate‬‭logically‬‭why‬‭the‬‭end‬‭argued‬‭for‬‭should‬‭be‬ ‭accepted.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭You‬‭can’t‬‭give‬‭me‬‭a‬‭bad‬‭grade;‬‭this‬‭will‬‭make‬‭my‬‭parents‬‭angry‬‭with‬‭me.‬ E ‭Example:‬‭You‬‭should‬‭cancel‬‭the‬‭exam;‬‭this‬‭will‬‭give‬‭me‬‭a‬‭chance‬‭to‬‭relax‬‭and‬‭enjoy‬‭the‬‭weekend.‬ ‭.‬‭Bandwagon‬‭Appeals‬ 6 ‭Suggesting‬‭that‬‭simply‬‭because‬‭a‬‭lot‬‭of‬‭others‬‭are‬‭doing‬‭it,‬‭you‬‭should‬‭too.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭Everyone‬‭else‬‭is‬‭displaying‬‭a‬‭flag,‬‭or‬‭a‬‭support‬‭our‬‭troops‬‭sticker‬‭on‬‭their‬‭car;‬‭therefore,‬‭you‬‭should‬‭too.‬ E ‭Example:‬‭Everyone‬‭else‬‭is‬‭going‬‭out‬‭and‬‭getting‬‭drunk‬‭tonight,‬‭so‬‭you‬‭should‬‭too.‬ ‭.‬‭Appeals‬‭to‬‭False‬‭Authority‬ 7 ‭Suggesting‬‭that‬‭you‬‭should‬‭listen‬‭and‬‭follow‬‭what‬‭someone‬‭has‬‭to‬‭say‬‭about‬‭something‬‭that‬‭he‬‭or‬‭she‬‭is‬‭in‬‭fact‬‭not‬‭a‬ ‭credible,‬‭reliable‬‭authority‬‭on.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭My‬‭friend,‬‭who‬‭is‬‭serving‬‭in‬‭the‬‭infantry‬‭in‬‭Iraq,‬‭tells‬‭me‬‭that‬‭the‬‭government‬‭has‬‭a‬‭secret‬‭plan‬‭for‬‭how‬‭to‬‭win‬ E ‭the‬‭War‬‭that‬‭they‬‭won’t‬‭release‬‭until‬‭after‬‭the‬‭election,‬‭and‬‭because‬‭he‬‭is‬‭my‬‭friend‬‭and‬‭I‬‭like‬‭and‬‭respect‬‭him,‬‭this‬‭must‬‭be‬ ‭true‬ ‭8.‬‭Moral‬‭Equivalence‬ ‭Proposing‬‭that‬‭because‬‭some‬‭people‬‭act‬‭a‬‭certain‬‭way,‬‭than‬‭everyone‬‭else‬‭has‬‭the‬‭right‬‭to‬‭do‬‭so‬‭too.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭If‬‭John‬‭F.‬‭Kennedy‬‭got‬‭away‬‭with‬‭committing‬‭adultery‬‭while‬‭in‬‭office‬‭as‬‭President,‬‭then‬‭Bill‬‭Clinton‬‭and‬‭all‬ E ‭subsequent‬‭presidents‬‭should‬‭be‬‭able‬‭to‬‭do‬‭so‬‭too.‬ ‭Example:‬‭If‬‭governments‬‭are‬‭going‬‭to‬‭impose‬‭restrictions‬‭on‬‭smoking‬‭for‬‭health‬‭reasons‬‭then‬‭they‬‭must‬‭impose‬‭the‬‭same‬ ‭restrictions‬‭on‬‭drinking‬‭and‬‭eating‬‭of‬‭fatty‬‭foods.‬ ‭.‬‭Ad‬‭Hominem‬‭Arguments‬ 9 ‭Attacking‬‭the‬‭character‬‭of‬‭a‬‭person‬‭rather‬‭than‬‭engaging‬‭with‬‭the‬‭claim,‬‭reasons,‬‭and‬‭evidence‬‭she‬‭or‬‭he‬‭is‬‭setting‬‭forth.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭In‬‭listening‬‭to‬‭what‬‭you‬‭have‬‭to‬‭say‬‭I‬‭have‬‭this‬‭to‬‭say‬‭in‬‭reply:‬‭only‬‭an‬‭idiot‬‭would‬‭argue‬‭for‬‭pursuing‬‭a‬‭peaceful‬ E ‭solution‬‭to‬‭this‬‭conflict.‬ ‭Example:‬‭Here’s‬‭what‬‭I‬‭think‬‭about‬‭what‬‭you‬‭have‬‭written:‬‭anyone‬‭who‬‭opposes‬‭the‬‭death‬‭penalty‬‭for‬‭murder‬‭is‬‭a‬‭criminal‬ ‭at‬‭heart.‬ ‭ 0.‬‭Hasty‬‭Generalizations‬ 1 ‭Drawing‬‭a‬‭conclusion,‬‭especially‬‭a‬‭sweeping‬‭one,‬‭from‬‭insufficient‬‭evidence.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭I‬‭knew‬‭a‬‭gay‬‭guy‬‭once‬‭who‬‭was‬‭not‬‭very‬‭masculine;‬‭this‬‭just‬‭goes‬‭to‬‭show‬‭that‬‭gay‬‭guys‬‭are‬‭more‬‭effeminate‬ E ‭than‬‭straight‬‭men.‬ ‭Example:‬‭A‬‭black‬‭family‬‭moved‬‭into‬‭my‬‭neighborhood‬‭once,‬‭and‬‭they‬‭were‬‭financially‬‭quite‬‭well-off,‬‭better‬‭than‬‭we‬ ‭were;‬‭this‬‭proves‬‭that‬‭black‬‭people‬‭actually‬‭are‬‭economically‬‭equal‬‭to‬‭whites.‬ ‭ 1.‬‭Faulty‬‭Analogy‬ 1 ‭Drawing‬‭an‬‭analogy‬‭that‬‭is‬‭based‬‭upon‬‭faulty‬‭equations‬‭or‬‭identifications‬‭of‬‭terms.‬ ‭ xample:‬‭It‬‭has‬‭been‬‭scientifically‬‭proven‬‭that‬‭people‬‭need‬‭to‬‭drink‬‭a‬‭certain‬‭amount‬‭of‬‭water‬‭every‬‭day‬‭to‬‭keep‬‭healthy.‬ E ‭Water‬‭is‬‭a‬‭liquid‬‭and‬‭so‬‭is‬‭beer.‬‭Therefore‬‭people‬‭should‬‭be‬‭able‬‭to‬‭substitute‬‭beer‬‭for‬‭water,‬‭drinking‬‭as‬‭much‬‭beer‬‭each‬ ‭day‬‭as‬‭doctors‬‭recommend‬‭people‬‭drink‬‭water,‬‭in‬‭order‬‭to‬‭keep‬‭healthy.‬ ‭Example:‬‭Students‬‭in‬‭Kindergarten‬‭at‬‭Jefferson‬‭Elementary‬‭School‬‭did‬‭better‬‭when‬‭given‬‭milk‬‭and‬‭cookies‬‭in‬‭class‬‭than‬ ‭when‬‭not;‬‭therefore‬‭students‬‭at‬‭UWEC‬‭will‬‭do‬‭better‬‭too‬‭if‬‭they‬‭are‬‭given‬‭milk‬‭and‬‭cookies‬‭in‬‭class.‬