Philosophy Rhetorical Devices

Front 1

Euphemism

Back 1

(Not a fallacy)
A neutral or positive expression instead of one that carries negative attitudes.

Front 2

Dysphemism

Back 2

(Not a fallacy)
Produce a negative effect on the reader/listener's attitude towards something or to tone down the positive associations it might have.

Front 3

Weasler

Back 3

(Not a fallacy)
Protect a claim from criticism by watering it down somewhat, weakening it, and going the claim's author a way out in case the claim is challenged.

Front 4

Downplayer

Back 4

(Not a fallacy)
An attempt to make someone or something look less important or less significant.

Front 5

Stereotype

Back 5

(Not a fallacy)
A generalization or an assumption about all the members of a group that is based on an image of those in the group.

Front 6

Innuendo

Back 6

(Not a fallacy)
Enables us to insinuate something deprecatory without actually saying it.

Front 7

Loaded question

Back 7

(Not a fallacy)
Questions that depend on unwarranted assumptions.

Front 8

Ridicule/Sarcasm

Back 8

(Not a fallacy)
Language used to put something in a bad light.

Front 9

Hyperbole

Back 9

(Not a fallacy)
Dramatic overstatement

Front 10

Rhetorical definitions

Back 10

Use emotively charged language to express or elicit an attitude about something. (to define)
i.e. defining abortion as "the murder of an unborn child"

Front 11

Rhetorical explanations

Back 11

Use emotively charged language to express or elicit an attitude about something. (to explain)
i.e. "He lost the fight because he's lost his nerve"

Front 12

Rhetorical analogy

Back 12

A comparison of two things or a likening of one thing to another in order to make one of them appear better or worse than it might be.

Front 13

Proof surrogate

Back 13

(Not a fallacy)
An expression used to suggest that there is evidence or authority for a claim without actually citing such evidence or authority.

Front 14

Repetition

Back 14

(Not a fallacy)
Hearing/reading a claim over and over can sometimes mistakenly encourage the belief that it's true.

Front 15

Argument from outrage

Back 15

(Fallacy)
Consists of inflammatory words followed by a "conclusion" of some sort.

Front 16

Scapegoating
(type of argument from outrage)

Back 16

(Fallacy)
Blaming a certain group of people, or even a single person, for all of life's troubles.

Front 17

Scare tactic

Back 17

(Fallacy)
Trying to scare people into doing something or accepting a position.

Front 18

Argument by force
(type of scare tactic)

Back 18

(Fallacy)
Threatening the person into accepting a position.

Front 19

Argument from pity

Back 19

(Fallacy)
When feeling sorry for someone drives us to a position on an unrelated matter.

Front 20

Argument from envy

Back 20

(Fallacy)
Finding fault with a person or some position the person takes because of envy.

Front 21

Apple polishing

Back 21

(Fallacy)
The use of flattery to encourage someone to accept a claim.

Front 22

Guilt trip

Back 22

(Fallacy)
Trying to get someone to accept a claim by making them feel guilty about it.

Front 23

Wishful thinking

Back 23

(Fallacy)
Accepting a claim because you want it to be true, or rejecting it because you don't want it to be true.

Front 24

Peer Pressure

Back 24

(Fallacy)
Threatened with rejection by friends/relatives/etc., if you don't accept a certain claim.

Front 25

Groupthink fallacy

Back 25

(Fallacy)
Occurs when someone lets identification with a group cloud reason and deliberation when arriving at an issue.

Front 26

Nationalism
(type of groupthink fallacy)

Back 26

(Fallacy)
A powerful and fierce emotion that can lead to blind endorsement of a country's policies and practices.

Front 27

Red herring

Back 27

(Fallacy)
Distract reader/listener by pulling one's attention away from one topic toward another.

Front 28

Smoke screen

Back 28

(Fallacy)
Distract reader/listener by piling issues or to make them extremely complicated until the original is lost in the "smoke".

Front 29

Appeal to popularity

Back 29

(Fallacy)
Urging someone to accept a claim simply on the grounds that all/most/a substantial number of people believe it.
i.e. "everyone knows that..."

Front 30

Appeal to common practice

Back 30

(Fallacy)
Trying to defend of justify an action/practice on the grounds that it is common.
i.e. "everyone does it..."

Front 31

Appeal to tradition

Back 31

(Fallacy)
Trying to convince someone that a claim is true on the basis of tradition.

Front 32

Rationalizing

Back 32

(Fallacy)
Using a false pretext in order to satisfy our desires or interests.

Front 33

Two wrongs make a right

Back 33

(Fallacy)
"It's acceptable for A to do X to B because B would do X to A", said where A's doing X to B is not necessary to prevent B's doing X to A.

Front 34

Personal attack ad hominem

Back 34

(Fallacy)
Thinking a person's defects refute their beliefs.

Front 35

Inconsistency ad hominem

Back 35

(Fallacy)
Thinking a person's inconsistencies refute their beliefs.

Front 36

Circumstantial ad hominem

Back 36

(Fallacy)
Thinking a person's circumstances refute their beliefs.

Front 37

Poisoning the well

Back 37

(Fallacy)
Encouraging others to dismiss what someone WILL say, by using unfavourable information.

Front 38

Genetic fallacy

Back 38

(Fallacy)
Thinking that the origin or history of a belief refutes it.

Front 39

Straw man

Back 39

(Fallacy)
Occurs when a speaker/writer distorts/exaggerates/misrepresents an opponent's position.

Front 40

False dilemma

Back 40

(Fallacy)
Erroneously narrowing down a range of alternatives; saying that we have to accept X or Y (omitting the Z option).

Front 41

Perfectionist fallacy

Back 41

Arguing that if a solution does not solve a problem completely and perfectly, it should not be adopted at all.

Front 42

Line-drawing fallacy

Back 42

Insisting that a line must be drawn at some precise point when in fact it is not necessary that such a line be drawn. (Usually occurs when a vague concept is treated like a precise one)

Front 43

Slippery slope

Back 43

(Fallacy)
"If we let X happen, the first thing you know, Y will happen"
or
"We let X happen, now we have to let Y happen."

Front 44

Misplacing the burden of proof

Back 44

(Fallacy)
Occurs when the burden of proof is placed on the wrong side of an issue.

Front 45

Begging the question

Back 45

(Fallacy)
When we ask our audience to accept premises that are as controversial as the conclusion we're arguing for and that are controversial on the same grounds.
("circular" argument)