English Terms

Front 1

Ad Ignorantium

Back 1

arguing on the basis of what is not known. If you can't prove something is flase, must it be true?
ex. You can't prove there isn't a monster in Loch Ness, so there must be one!

Front 2

Card Stacking

Back 2

concealing, witholding, or ignoring the evidence, selecting only evidence favorable to your side.
ex. Bill Clinton is tall and good looking, a wonderful scholar, experienced politician, and world leader. Let's get this man back into politics!

Front 3

Hasty Generalization

Back 3

drawing conclusions from too little evidence - chief error in reasoning. Avoid generalizing, but if you must make generalizatoins, be sure to back them up with specific evidence.
ex. While it may be true that some students rely on cheat websites for help with their coursework; most do not.

Front 4

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

Back 4

"after this, therefore because of this". Events that follow each other chronologically are falsely assumed to have a cause and effect relationship.
ex. His grades started to fall after Jim met Erica; she must have been a bad influence.

Front 5

Ad Baculum

Back 5

appeal to physical or psycological force.
ex. If you insult Smith's wife, you'll get a black eye! Or, if you investigate Rip - off Motors, they'll expose your sex life.

Front 6

Ad Hominem

Back 6

"to or against the person". Ad hominem attacks the person and ignores the argument. The idea is the person is too contemptible to have valid ideas.
ex. What you say may be true, but aren't you a member of the radical gruop, "Defenders of the Earth?"

Front 7

Bandwagon

Back 7

appeal to peer pressure, group identity, snob appeal.
ex. Come on; join us - the winning side!

Front 8

Genetic Fallacy

Back 8

The source of an idea influences its worth. The idea is attacked regardless of who supports it, on the grounds that where the idea came from makes the argument bad.
ex. The new tax law is ridiculous! It was written at Blah State College and everyone knows that's Mickey Mouse U!

Front 9

Guilt by Association

Back 9

You are known by the company you keep.
e. Why are you defending the rights of crimminals? Do you have a crimminal record?

Front 10

Red Herring

Back 10

arguing beside the point, switching to some side issue or entirely new issue to distract from the main argument.
ex. Perhaps you're right about integration and busing, but has anyone considered the safety of those buses?
ex. In order to understand the causes of the Civil War, we must look at man's warlike nature.

Front 11

Tu Quoque

Back 11

You did it too. The accusation is invalid because th e accuser is guilty of the same sin.
ex. So what if I cheat on my taxes? So do you!

Front 12

Begging the Question

Back 12

tautology, circular reasoning, the conclusion is just a restatement of one premise.
ex. You can judge good art by reading what good critics say about it. So, who are the good critics? They're the people who judge good art.

Front 13

False Analogy or False Metaphor

Back 13

analogy or metaphor has more dissimilarities than similarities.
ex. Blaming Nike for making big profits is like blaming a cow for giving too much milk.

Front 14

Complex Question

Back 14

Loaded questions are not safe to answer.
ex. When did you stop beating your wife?
ex. If elected, willyou put an end to frivolous welfare programs?

Front 15

False Dilemma

Back 15

Either/Or thinking presents only two options, both often unattractive. In almost all situations, there are more than two options.
ex. If you don't quit smoking, you'll die of lung cancer.

Front 16

Non Sequitur

Back 16

"it does not follow" This term is applied to any fallacy in which the argument cannot be followed. The conclusion does not follow from the premise.
ex. Inflation has mad our money worth less, so we might as well spend it and enjoy life!

Front 17

Rationalization

Back 17

making excuses, choosing the least threatening or most self-serving explanation.
ex. I'm flunking basketweaving; it's all because of that terrible instructor.

Front 18

Slippery Slope

Back 18

One thing leads to another.
ex. If you eat desserts every day for a week, you'll probably gain twenty pounds.