Common Logical Fallacies

Front

Hasty Generalization

Back

Making a claim or drawing a conclusion without having enough information

Front

Faulty Causality

Back

Incorrect assumption that one event caused another event.

Front

Either/Or

Back

Unfair oversimplification of an issue by providing only two options as possible solutions.

Front

Slippery Slope

Back

The argument that one event will lead to a series of events and eventually will lead to something very bad

Front

Bandwagon/Ad Populum

Back

The argument that because something is popular it is good or the truth

Front

Sentimental Appeal

Back

Playing on emotions to distract from the facts.

Front

Scare tactics

Back

Using fear to sway people by exaggerating possible dangers well beyond their statistical likelihood.

Front

False authority

Back

The argument that because someone famous recommends it, it must be good.

Front

Ad Hominem

Back

Attacking the person making the argument, rather than addressing the argument the person is making

Front

Straw Man

Back

Intentionally misrepresenting the other side's argument to make it easier to defeat instead of addressing the other side's actual argument