Informal Fallacies

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What is an informal fallacy?

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It is concerned with the meaning of the statement. Not regarding the form of the argument, but of the truth of it.

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Fallacies of Ambiguity

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Where the meaning of the statements is not clear

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Fallacies of Relevance

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Where the meaning is clear, but it does not address the right issues of the argument

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Simple Ambiguity (Equivocation)

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When a word or phrase is used with two or more meanings

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Amphibole

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The ambiguity of amphibole is one where the words are clear but the grammatical construction is not

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Accent (emphasis)

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Ambiguity of accent occurs when the accent, emphasis, or tone of voice changes the meaning

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Significance (circumstance)

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The ambiguity of significance is committed when conditions or circumstances change the meaning of the words

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Argument ad Baculum (appeal to force)

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It seeks to persuade by force

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Argumentum ad Hominem (abusive)

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This is argument by character assassination

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Argumentum ad Hominem (circumstantial)

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The argument is not an assault on the man's character, but on some special circumstances surrounding him

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Argumentum ad Misericordiam (appeal to pity)

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Accept this because you should fel pity (or sympathy) for the one involved

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Argumentum ad Populum

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This is the fallacy of deciding truth by opinion polls

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Consensus Gentium

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Accept this because most people believe it is true
This requires a majority opinion unlike ad Populum

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Argumentum ab Annis

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All truth is subject to aging. It sets time as an authority, with new ideas being more valuable than old ones

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Argumentum ad Futuris

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The fallacy of "accept this because future evidence will support it." It appeals to the authority of progress. This is argument by anticipation, not demonstration.

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Petitio Principii (begging the question)

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This is an argument where the conclusion is sneaked into the premises

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Straw Man

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Is to draw a false picture of the opposing argument

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Special Pleading

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Only evidence that is presented is one sided and the opponent's evidence is left out

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Ignoratio Elenchi (irrelevant conclusion)

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An irrelevant conclusion gets the focus off of the point to be proved by substituting a related, but logically irrelevant, point for it. This is the more subtle fallacy of the two tactics.

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Operat ergo Veritat

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It works, therefore it is true

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Red Herring

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Accept this because this other subject is interesting (funny, witty, etc.)

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Dictio Simpliciter (fallacy of the general rule)

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Accept this in this case (with special circumstances) because it is true in general.

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Hasty Generalization

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It concludes too much from too little, choosing only the evidence it wants.
It confuses typical and atypical evidence, or ignores atypical evidence entirely, then jumps to a conclusion.

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Cliche

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accept this because it accords with a popular maxim

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Nothing Buttery

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This argues that something is nothing but some aspect of it

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Genetic Fallacy

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The single issue focused on is the source or origin of an idea
"Something (or someone) should be rejected because it (or he) comes from a bad source."

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Complex Question

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"Accept this (false) implication because of this other (true) implication."

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Category Mistake

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This is an "apple-and-oranges" error because it mixes up two ideas that don't belong together.
"Accept this because it falls into that category."

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Faulty Analogy

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This fallacy deals with the misuse of analogies in logical argument

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Argument of the Beard

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"Reject this because it differs only in degree from what you already reject" It is a matter of degree. It tells us that if a line is hard to draw, then it is impossible to draw.