Logical Fallacies Review

What is Ad Hominem?

• Diversionary tactics of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the speaker.

• Appeals to what is popular with the majority rather than the validity of the argument.

• Comparing two things that are not comparable.

• Conclusion made with insufficient evidence to support.

Ad Populum: Is the appeal to what is popular with the ________ rather than the validity of the argument.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc: To establish a _____ cause for the issue at hand.

Which example shows a Straw Man fallacy?

• "If we allow students at Greenwood High to use calculators during their math finals, next they'll demand to use Google to solve all the problems."

• "You can't possibly critique the mayor's new policy because you're not a city planner."

• "Jennifer has been a successful CEO at Tech Innovations Inc., so she'll definitely be a great governor."

• "People have been using Styrofoam cups for decades without issues, so they must be perfectly safe for the environment."

What is a Red Herring fallacy?

• A distraction from the main issue by introducing an irrelevant topic.

• Assuming that because one event follows another, the first event caused the second.

• Attacking the character of the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.

• Drawing a conclusion based on a small sample size.

Which example illustrates a Slippery Slope fallacy?

• "If we ban plastic straws, soon all plastic products will be banned, and then we'll have to live without any modern conveniences."

• "You can't trust his opinion on climate change because he's not a scientist."

• "The new manager is from a different industry, so she won't understand our business."

• "Everyone is buying the new smartphone, so it must be the best on the market."

What is a Hasty Generalization?

• Making a broad claim based on a small or unrepresentative sample.

• Assuming that because two things are alike in one way, they are alike in all ways.

• Arguing that a claim is true because it has not been proven false.

• Using an authority figure's opinion as evidence in an unrelated field.

Either/or Reasoning: Two extreme options are the ____ ________.

True or false: Non sequitur is the one point that DOES logically follow from the other

• True

• False

Faulty Analogy: Comparing ___ things that are not comparable.