Every Argument is not a Good Argument

Understanding Fallacies
Fallacies of Logos Hasty Generalization Part for the Whole Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc Circular Reasoning False Dilemma Fallacies of Pathos Slippery Slope Argument to the People False Analogy Appeal to Ignorance Loaded Label Bandwagon Appeal to Pity Red Herring

Fallacies of Ethos Appeal to False Authority Ad Hominem Straw Man

Argument to the People

Appealing to Stirring Symbols

Appealing to the fundamental beliefs, biases, and prejudices of an audience to sway opinion

Appeal to Ignorance
A lack of evidence is not evidence.
Persuading audience to accept a claim as true that hasnt been proven false Persuading audience to accept a claim as false because it hasnt been proven true

Bandwagon
Arguments are not valid just because they are popular.

Appeal to Pity
Appeals to audiences sympathetic feelings to support a claim that should be decided objectively

Red Herring
Raising an irrelevant point to divert audience attention from the original issue
Named for a stinky fish that is used to throw dogs off a scent they should be tracking

Appeal to False Authority

Using famous people, but not necessarily experts to testify on an issue

Ad Hominem
Poisoning the Well Godwins Law or the reductio ad Hitlerum Attacking the opponent, rather than the opponents argument

Straw Man
Oversimplifying an opponents argument to make it easier to refute or ridicule

Hasty Generalization
Making a broad generalization on too little evidence

Part for the Whole

Assuming what is true for a sample is true for the whole

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

After this, therefore because of this

Mistaking a sequential relationship for a causal relationship

I did my math homework and got sick the next morning; therefore, math makes me sick.

Circular Reasoning

Begging the question

Providing a reason that simply restates the claim in different words

False Dilemma
Oversimplifying a complex issue so that only two choices appear possible
Its my way or the highway.

Slippery Slope
Asserting that one action will inevitably lead to other undesirable actions

False Analogy
Comparing two things that are not really similar
Vegetables are healthy because they come from the earth. Poison ivy also comes from the earth, so its really harmless.

Loaded Label
Using terms with positive or negative connotations within a definition to sway an audience

Pharmaceuticals can help the mentally unstable. vs. Drugs are for psychopaths.