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AP Language Argumentative Terms Flashcards

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2210399749ad hominem"against the man"; a diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker0
2210404744ad populumalso known as bandwagoning; "everyone's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do"1
2210414273argumenta process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion2
2210416722begging the questiona fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt; Is the support itself sound?3
2210421933circular reasoninga fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence4
2210425639deductiona logical process whereby one reaches a conclusion by starting with a general principle or universal truth and applying it to a specific case; usually demonstrated in the form of a syllogism5
2210434408either/oralso known as false dilemma; a fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices6
2210436708faulty analogya fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable7
2210440370hasty generalizationa fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence8
2210443628inductiona logical process whereby the writer reasons from the particulars to the universals, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion9
2210448637logical fallacypotential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument, usually arising from a failure to make a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it10
2210452440polemican argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion11
2210464609post hoc ergo propter hoca logical fallacy for "after which therefore because of which"; it's incorrect to claim that something is a cause just because it happened earlier; correlation does not imply causation12
2210480164propagandaa term with negative connotations to describe writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information; the spread of ideas and information to further a cause13
2210490792red herringa logical fallacy in which a speaker skips to a new and irrelevant topic in order to avoid the topic of discussion14
2210499377refuteto deny the validity of an opposing argument15
2210500993straw mana logical fallacy that occurs when a speaker choose a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea16
2210504457syllogisma logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion17
6410091534bandwagonsame as ad populum; this fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to "everybody's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do."18
6410100771biasprejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue19
6410112685counterargumenta challenge to a position; an opposing argument20
6410115483false dilemmasame as either/or; the writer tries to convince the audience that there are only two sides to an issue-- one right, one wrong21
6410137091non sequitur"it doesn't follow"; the writer's conclusion is not necessarily a logical result of the facts22
6410144217quick fixthe writer leans too heavily on catchphrases or empty slogans, oversimplifying the issue23

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