A fallacy is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning in the construction of an argument.
- Begging the Question: Everyone wants the new iPhone because it is the hottest new gadget on the market!
- Ad Hominem: Using someone’s education level as a means to exploit and degrade the opposers argument – “You didn’t even finish high school. How could you possibly know about this?”
- Equivocation: I have the right to watch “The Real World.” Therefore it’s right for me to watch the show. So, I think I’ll watch this “Real World” marathon tonight instead of studying for my exam.
- Slippery Slope: We can’t permit the sale of marijuana by doctor’s prescription, because that will lead people to believe it’s an acceptable drug; this will open the floodgates to the complete legalization of the drug for use by every pothead in the country.
- Straw Man: Senator Smith says that the nation should not add to the defense budget. Senator Jones says that he cannot believe that Senator Smith wants to leave the nation defenseless.
- Tu Quoque: A political candidate’s position on abortion is attacked because in previous speeches, he took the other position.
- Non-sequitur: I think I would make a good diplomat to China. I have a very good record in dealing with minorities.
- False Dichotomy: Anti-vaccine person: Vaccines are so dangerous that you either support vaccines which means you hate children, or you’re against vaccines which means you love children.
Pro-science: In fact, the adverse effects of vaccines are so small, and the risk of complications from vaccine preventable pathogens, the evidence supports the use of vaccines. The argument should be that the benefits far outweigh the risks so preventing disease is what is important. - Argument from Ignorance: Although we have proven that the moon is not made of spare ribs, we have not proven that its core cannot be filled with them; therefore, the moon’s core is filled with spare ribs.
- Red Herring: When your mom gets your phone bill and you have gone over the limit, you begin talking to her about how hard your math class is and how well you did on a test today.
- False Cause:
- Watching TV that close will make you go blind, so move back!
Explanation: The false effect from watching TV too closely is going blind. For the most part, the threat that you will “ruin” your eyesight is an old wives tale, but it does have some credibility based on modern studies, but almost certainly, nobody is going blind from sitting too close unless they ram their eyes into the protruding knobs. Anyway, the conclusion, “so move back!” is not warranted by the false effect.
12. Double Standard: Husband: I forbid you to go to that male strip club! That is a completely inappropriate thing for a wife to do!
Wife: What about when you went to the female strip club last year?
Husband: That was just for fun, and besides, that’s different.
W/C:493
Adrian Leyva 