Logical Fallacies

Latin for “against the man”

This is when someone attacks the person or person’s character instead of the argument. When an arguer cannot defend their position with evidence, facts, or reason, they resort to attacking an opponent through name calling, labeling, offensive remarks, and anger.

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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... or Ad populum appeals (which can include appeals to tradition or arguments from omniscience), assume or conclude that an idea has merit simply because it is popular or because it’s “how we’ve always done it”.

Simply because many people may believe something or practice a tradition says nothing about its viability.  Thus, beware of extreme words like “all,” “everyone,” “everything,” and “absolute,” or “none,” “no one,” “never,” etc. 

“Everyone knows that!”

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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In Latin, argumentum ex silentio or ad ignorantiam are both related to an appeal to ignorance. This fallacy relies on ignorance or lack of proof as evidence for something. Ignorance about something says nothing about is existence or non-existence. It is also similar to an appeal to faith, where belief in a thing doesn’t necessarily make it true.

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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A forced “either-or” choice is referred to as false dichotomy or false dilemma. It may also be called “excluded middle.” This fallacy considers only the extremes, reducing an argument to only two possible solutions—yes or no, up or down, guilty or innocent. It does not account for nuance or “gray areas.” In most cases, a continuum or spectrum occurs between the extremes, but people fail to see the “maybes” that exist through other perspectives.

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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can include divine fallacy, confirmation bias, and echo chamber. These arguments attempt to shut down discussion by asserting that the writer’s beliefs are the only acceptable ones or represents a form of selective thinking that focuses on evidence that supports only what the believers already believe while ignoring evidence that refutes their beliefs. There is a parallel between this fallacy and appeals to faith, tradition, or prejudice. 

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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This is example of which fallacy?

• “It’s hard to take your claims seriously because you spend your days playing video games.”

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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This is example of which fallacy?

• “Drink water every day and be healthy, or continue to drink sodas and be unhealthy. Those are the only options.”

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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This is example of which fallacy?

• "There are ghosts in our attic; nobody's been able to prove they aren't there."

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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This is example of which fallacy?

• "Don't cut the celery that way. You must cut it this way."

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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This is example of which fallacy?

• ""Everyone is going to get the new smart phone when it comes out this weekend.""

• Ad Hominem

• Appeal to Ignorance

• Bandwagon

• Dogmatism

• False Dichotomy

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