AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Language and Composition Fallacies Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5270119798Scare TacticsWhen fear, not based on evidence or reason, is being used as the primary motivator to get others to accept an idea, proposition, or conclusion.0
5270157530Either-orA type of informal fallacy that involves a situation in which only limited alternatives are considered, when in fact there is at least one additional option1
5270182661Slippery SlopeA person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any argument for the inevitability of the event in question.2
5270186655Sentimental AppealsA logical fallacy characterized by the manipulation of the recipient's emotions in order to win an argument, especially in the absence of factual evidence.3
5270192427BandwagonThe belief that an argument is valid because a majority of people accept it.4
5270202395Appeals to False AuthorityUsing an authority as evidence in your argument when the authority is not really an authority on the facts relevant to the argument.5
5270208217DogmatismWhen we assume or assert that a particular position is the only possible acceptable one.6
5270216396Moral EquivalenceA term used in political debate, usually to criticize any denial that a moral hierarchy can be assessed of two sides in a conflict, or in the actions or tactics of two sides.7
5270223627Ad HominemAn argument is rebutted by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the persons argument.8
5270237877Hasty Generalizationa conclusion is not logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence. Jumping to a conclusion, and neglect of qualifications.9
5270250020Faulty CausalityIs arguing that the cause of something is that which preceded it, and which does not take into account any other possible causes. Ignores the possibility of coincidence.10
5270264167Straw ManCommitted when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.11
5270273161Faulty AnalogyAssuming that because two things are alike in one or more respects, they are necessarily alike in some other respect.12
5270280143Begging the QuestionA logical fallacy in which the writer or speaker assumes the statement under examination to be true. In other words, using a premise to support itself.13
5270289974EquivocationWhen a key term or phrase in an argument is used in an ambiguous way, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and then another meaning in another portion of the argument.14
5270297788Non SequiturWhen the conclusion does not follow from the premises. In more informal reasoning, it can be when what is presented as evidence or reason is irrelevant or adds very little to support to the conclusion15

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!