Logic Chapter 4

Front 1

Formal Fallacy

Back 1

An error in reasoning that involves the explicit use of an invalid form.

Front 2

Informal Fallacy

Back 2

An error in reasoning that does not involve the explicit use of an invalid form.

Front 3

Argument Against the Person

Back 3

Aka: ad hominem;

Fallacy that involves attacking the person advancing the argument instead of critiquing the argument itself.

Front 4

Abusive Ad Hominem

Back 4

Fallacy involving an attempt to discredit an argument by launching a direct personal attack

Front 5

Circumstantial Ad Hominem

Back 5

Fallacy that involves an attempt to discredit an argument by calling attention to the circumstances or situation of those who advance it.

Front 6

Tu Quoque

Back 6

Fallacy that involves the attempt to discredit an argument by suggesting that its proponent is hypocritical.

Front 7

Straw Man

Back 7

Fallacy that occurs when the arguer attacks a misrepresentation of their opponent's view.

Front 8

Appeal to Force

Back 8

Aka: ad baculum;

Fallacy that occurs when a conclusion is defended by a threat to the well-being of those who do not accept it.

Front 9

Appeal to the People

Back 9

Aka: ad populum;

Fallacious attempt to persuade a person or group by appealing to the desire to be accepted or valued by others.

Front 10

Appeal to Pity

Back 10

Aka: ad misericordiam;

Fallacious attempt to support a conclusion merely by invoking pity in one's audience.

Front 11

Appeal to Ignorance

Back 11

Aka: ad ignorantium;

Fallacy involving either (a) the claim that a statement is true or reasonably believed true simply because it hasn't been proven false OR (b) the claim that a statement is false or reasonably believed false simply because it hasn't been proven true.

Front 12

Red Herring

Back 12

Aka: ignoratio elenchi;

Fallacy that occurs whenever the premises of an argument are logically unrelated to the conclusion.

Front 13

Equivocation

Back 13

Fallacy that occurs when multiple means of a word or phrase are used in a context where validity requires a single meaning of that word or phrase.

Front 14

Amphiboly

Back 14

Fallacy that occurs when multiple meanings of a sentence are used in a context (a) validity requires a single meaning, AND (b) the multiple meaning are due to sentence structure.

Front 15

Fallacy of Composition

Back 15

Fallacy involving EITHER (a) an invalid inference from the nature of the parts to the nature of the whole, OR (b) an invalid inference from attributes of members of a group to attributes of the group itself.

Front 16

Fallacy of Division

Back 16

Fallacy involving EITHER (a) an invalid inference from the nature of the whole to the nature of the parts, OR (b) an invalid inference from the nature of the group to the nature of its members.

Front 17

Begging the Question

Back 17

Aka: petitio principii;

Fallacy that occurs when an argument assumes the point to be proved.

Front 18

False Dilemma

Back 18

Fallacy that occurs when kne uses a premise that unjustifiably reduces the number of alternatives to be considered.

Front 19

Appeal to Unreliable Authority

Back 19

Aka: ad verecundiam;

Fallacy with an appeal to authority when the reliability of the authority may be reasonably doubted.

Front 20

False Cause

Back 20

Fallacy that occurs when one possible cause of a phenomenon is assumed to be a or the cause, despite a lack of reason for excluding other possibilities.

Front 21

After This, Therefore Because of This

Back 21

Aka: post hoc, ergo propter hoc;

Form of false cause fallacy that assumes that because X preceeded Y, X caused Y.

Front 22

Complex Question Fallacy

Back 22

Fallacy involving asking a question that illegitimately presupposes some conclusion alluded to in the question.