2210399749 | ad hominem | "against the man"; a diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker | 0 | |
2210404744 | ad populum | also known as bandwagoning; "everyone's doing it, so it must be a good thing to do" | 1 | |
2210414273 | argument | a process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion | 2 | |
2210416722 | begging the question | a fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support that is in doubt; Is the support itself sound? | 3 | |
2210421933 | circular reasoning | a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to provide evidence | 4 | |
2210425639 | deduction | a 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 syllogism | 5 | |
2210434408 | either/or | also known as false dilemma; a fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices | 6 | |
2210436708 | faulty analogy | a fallacy that occurs when an analogy compares two things that are not comparable | 7 | |
2210440370 | hasty generalization | a fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because of inadequate evidence | 8 | |
2210443628 | induction | a logical process whereby the writer reasons from the particulars to the universals, using specific cases in order to draw a conclusion | 9 | |
2210448637 | logical fallacy | potential 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 it | 10 | |
2210452440 | polemic | an argument against an idea, usually regarding philosophy, politics, or religion | 11 | |
2210464609 | post hoc ergo propter hoc | a 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 causation | 12 | |
2210480164 | propaganda | a term with negative connotations to describe writing designed to sway opinion rather than present information; the spread of ideas and information to further a cause | 13 | |
2210490792 | red herring | a logical fallacy in which a speaker skips to a new and irrelevant topic in order to avoid the topic of discussion | 14 | |
2210499377 | refute | to deny the validity of an opposing argument | 15 | |
2210500993 | straw man | a logical fallacy that occurs when a speaker choose a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea | 16 | |
2210504457 | syllogism | a logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion | 17 | |
6410091534 | bandwagon | same 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 | |
6410100771 | bias | prejudice or predisposition toward one side of a subject or issue | 19 | |
6410112685 | counterargument | a challenge to a position; an opposing argument | 20 | |
6410115483 | false dilemma | same as either/or; the writer tries to convince the audience that there are only two sides to an issue-- one right, one wrong | 21 | |
6410137091 | non sequitur | "it doesn't follow"; the writer's conclusion is not necessarily a logical result of the facts | 22 | |
6410144217 | quick fix | the writer leans too heavily on catchphrases or empty slogans, oversimplifying the issue | 23 |
AP Language Argumentative Terms Flashcards
Primary tabs
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!