Fallacies of Argument - Chapter 5 by Prof. Pérez Casas

Maria Jose

2018-03-20 16:03:56 UTC

Hasty Generalization

Definition:
Reaching an inductive generalization based on insufficient evidence. You make a rushed conclusion without considering all the variables.

Example:
My son developed autism after getting a vaccine. Therefore, vaccines cause autism.

Image:

Ainsley

2018-03-20 16:04:04 UTC

Scare Tactic Fallacy
Definition
- when fear rather than evidence is used as the primary motivator to further the acceptance of an argument

Example
Timmy: Mom, what if I don’t believe in God?

Mom: Then you burn in Hell forever. Why do you ask?

Timmy: No reason.
Image

Jared Beguelin

2018-03-20 16:04:06 UTC

Fallacy:
Begging the Question

Summary:
"Begging the Question," sometimes known by its latin name "petitio principii," (translated as "assuming the initial point"), is a logical fallacy in which the writer makes an argument built on a premise which they assert as true, without explaining why the premise is true.

Example:
"Murder should be illegal because murder is wrong"
This argument is fallacious because it asserts that murder is wrong without elaboration. The argument would be valid if the author was able to prove that murder was wrong prior to making the statement, but on its own, the argument does not stand.

Alfredo

2018-03-20 16:04:09 UTC

Ad hominem Latin for “to the man”

An attack on the Ethos of opposition. Slander on the character or credibility of the other person, inhibiting them to present just appeals while distracting any of their potentially successful reasons. The audience tends to accept the argument of a respected speaker, especially if they represent values the listeners associate themselves with. It qualifies as a fallacy in the sense that it does not deal with the actual matter at hand but the people expressing the arguments.

Example:

Slippery Slope

kgao103 — 2018-03-20 16:04:15 UTC

This fallacy suggests that a a trivial/minor action will lead to crazily exaggerated consequences.

Example: If we permit gay marriage, people will start advocating for rights to marry their dogs, cats, or even iguanas!

Example: If you eat that cookie, you'll lose control and eat the entire batch of cookies and before you know it you'll get the Freshman 15 the next morning.

Valeria Gómez

2018-03-20 16:04:17 UTC

Bandwagon Appeals

A bandwagon appeal leads people to not think independently. It urges them to follow the path of everyone else.

Example: Katie likes to read and would rather do that than play sports. Her friends make fun of her and tell her that reading is for nerds. Katie stops reading so much and starts to play sports more.

Swann

2018-03-20 16:04:17 UTC

Faulty Causality:
^{mistakes a correlation or association for causation. Assumes that because
of one thing another is caused by it.}Example: Every day, I eat cereal for breakfast. One time, I had a muffin instead, and there was a major earthquake in my city. I've eaten cereal ever since.
(In this case, the speaker seems to have the superstitious belief that the earthquake was his or her fault, because it coincided with the odd occurance of having eaten a muffin for breakfast, despite there being no logical connection between these events)

Evalise

2018-03-20 16:04:22 UTC

Either or Choices
1. reduce complicated scenarios to just two options, one obviously more preferable than the other.
2. Become faulty arguments when they reduce a complicated issue to excessively simple terms or when they’re designed to obscure legitimate alternatives.
3. Taints a legitimate alternative option by making one seem more favorable

Example:
1. Eat your broccoli, or you won't get dessert
2. The photo below is an either or argument because it ignores all the possible reasons in between for why he could have finished early. For example he could have had an emergency or wanted to leave for any other reason but the photo ignores that.

Isabella Katz

2018-03-20 16:04:34 UTC

Dogmatism
- When we assume or assure that a specific position is the only acceptable one, the only true one.

- We allow our biases and personal beliefs to limit us, it is not a valid tactic.

EX:

- If you have are not doing well in math you are stupid because math is so easy.

- This persons statement is not considering other alternatives on why a person might not be doing well in math. This person is so close-minded.

Joie

2018-03-20 16:04:51 UTC

Appeals to False Authority
1. when writers offer themselves and other authorities as enough warrant for making a claim valid and believable. (something is true because it is believed or said by someone who is supposably knowledgeable on the subject. )
2. Example: A commercial claims that a specific brand of cereal is the best way to start the day because athlete Michael Jordan says that it is what he eats every day for breakfast.

Pia Garrote

2018-03-20 16:04:55 UTC

Overly sentimental appeal:
- use tender emotions to distract the readers from the facts. Appeals to personal and individual as well as heartwarming and heartwrenching problems.

Example: Using lonely feeling and love to animals to persuade you to buy a dog. As well as they distract you from trying you to get to buy dog food.

Skylar Powers

2018-03-20 16:11:05 UTC

Stacking the Deck
- When you only show one side of the argument and not consider other viewpoints... writers usually commit stacking the deck fallacies when they are very commited to proving their point.
Example: "It's impossible to write a bad essay when there are such fantastic instructors in this department."

Pia Garrote

2018-03-20 16:12:26 UTC

Overly Sentimental Fallacy Example 2:

Alfredo

2018-03-20 16:22:08 UTC

Red Herrings

Redirecting the argument to another subject to which the person doing the redirecting is better prepared. The red herring is a deliberate diversion of attention with the intention of trying to abandon the original argument, it throws the "reader off the trail"

ex.
A - Thus we should reform out gun laws

B- yeah but what about abortion?

Ainsley and Evalise

2018-03-20 16:22:11 UTC

Equivocation
- the intentional use of inexact words in order to keep from admitting the truth or avoid implicating yourself. A term with more than one sense can also be used to make the argument misleading.
Example
-The priest told me I should have faith.

I have faith that my son will do well in school this year.

Therefore, the priest should be happy with me.

Valeria Gómez

2018-03-20 16:22:41 UTC

Faulty Analogy

assuming that because two things are alike in one or more respects, they are necessarily alike in some other respect.

Example: That group of teenagers is up to no good - they are out after dark, and they are wearing dark clothes and baggy pants.

Joie

2018-03-20 16:23:10 UTC

Straw Man
1. attacking an argument that isn't really there, or a weaker argument that the opponent is actually trying to emphasize.
-refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.
Example: 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.

Non sequitur

kgao103 — 2018-03-20 18:04:15 UTC

When the conclusion does not logically follow the assertion, when what is presented as evidence or reason is irrelevant or adds very little support to the conclusion.

Logic:
Claim A is made.

Evidence is presented for claim A.

Therefore, claim C is true.

Example:
Burger King has the greatest food in town. Burger King was voted #1 by the local paper. Therefore, Bob, the owner of Burger Kings, should run for president of the United States.

Explanation: even though Bob makes good burgers, it doesn't mean that he should run for the president of the US.

2018-04-11 01:09:17 UTC

the intentional use of inexact words in order to keep from admitting the truth or avoid implicating yourself. A term with more than one sense can also be used to make the argument misleading.