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Lev's AP Language Logical Fallacies Flashcards

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5636097776Avoiding the QuestionRed Herring Fallacy Ad Hominem Tu Quoque Faulty Appeal to Authority Appeal to the People Straw Man0
5636097777Red HerringA red herring is the introduction of an irrelevant or random point into an argument mean to change the subject.1
5636097784Ad-hominemIn an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "turn to the man."2
5636097785Tu quoqueDismissing someone's argument because he or she is being hypocritical.3
5636097786Faulty Appeal to AuthorityA fallacy in which a speaker or writer seeks to persuade not by giving evidence but by appealing to the respect people have for a famous person or institution.4
5636097778Appeal to PeopleWhen we assume a viewpoint is correct because many people agree with it.5
5636097787StrawmanMisrepresenting or exaggerating someone else's argument to make it easier to attack.6
5636097788No True ScotsmanMaking what could be called an appeal to purity as a way to dismiss relevant criticisms or flaws of an argument. John: "No Scotsman would ever drink wine." Jim: "But McDougal is a Scotsman and he drinks wine." John: "Well, no true Scotsman would ever drink wine."7
5636097779Making AssumptionsCircular Reasoning Loaded Question Whole to Part Either-Or (Black or White) Slippery Slope8
5636097789Circular ReasoningA logical fallacy in which the conclusion is hidden within the premises. Typically called "circular reasoning." From Plato's Euthyphro - something is pious because it is loved by the gods. That which is loved by the gods is pious.9
5636097790Loaded QuestionAsking a question that has an assumption built into it so that it cannot be answered without making one appear guilty. "Do you still beat your girlfriend?"10
5636097791Whole to Part or Part to WholeAssuming that what is true about one part of something is also true about the whole.11
5636097792BandwagonA fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable.12
5636097793Black or WhiteWhen two alternative states are presented as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.13
5636097780Statistical FallaciesHasty Generalizations Weak Analogies14
5636097781Hasty GeneralizationsGeneralizing based on a small or poor sample population.15
5636097782Weak AnalogyAn analogy is a comparison. They can be weak because no two things are alike.16
5636097783PropagandaAppeal to Fear Appeal to Pity Bandwagon Appeal to Tradition Appeal to Flattery17
5636097794Slippery SlopeA fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented.18
5636097795Special PleadingA fallacy of logical argument in which the writer suppresses evidence that contradicts the conclusion in an inductive argument.19
5636097796False CauseA fallacy that occurs when the alleged cause fails to be related to, or to produce the effect: "the black cat crossing the street brought me bad luck, so I had an accident."20
5636097797Appeal to NatureThis argument goes that because something is natural, it must be better.21
5636097798AnecdotalUsing personal experience or an isolated example instead of a valid argument especially to dismiss statistics.22
5636097799Appeal to EmotionOccurs when emotions or emotionally-charged language is used in an attempt to persuade the reader. Using manipulative emotion instead of valid argument to convince.23
5636097800Burden of Proof ReversalAn argument in which one who asserts a position fails to prove it, but rather tries to get the interlocutor to disprove it. A good argument is proven by the one who asserts it and it doesn't fall upon one who is skeptical of the claim to disprove it, but rather the asserter of the position to prove it.24
5636097801Texas SharpshooterJumping to the conclusion that a cluster in some data must be the result of a cause.25
5636097802The Fallacy FallacyPresuming that because a claim has been poorly argued, or a fallacy has been made, that the conclusion is necessarily wrong.26
5636097803Personal IncredulityArguing that because something is difficult to understand it must necessarily be untrue.27
5636097804AmbiguityAn event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. Also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. Unintentional ambiguity is usually vagueness.28
5636097805EquivocationA fallacy by which a key word or phrase in an argument is used with more than one meaning. "I trust you so I trust that you'll be home by 9." The word "trust" is used in two different ways.29
5636097806Genetic FallacyCondemning an argument because of where it began, how it began, or who began it. Similar in form to ad-hominem.30
5636097807Middle-Ground FallacyAssuming that the middle position between two others is always the right one.31
5636097808Argument from IgnoranceAn argument stating that something is true because it has never been proven false.32
5636097809Future FallacyAssuming the future will be like the present.33
5636097810Nostalgic FallacyAssuming that because something was a certain way that is the way that it ought to be.34
5636097811The Presentist FallacyAssuming that because something is currently a particular way that it is the way that it ought to be.35
5636097812Argument for IgnoranceArguing that it is better to be ignorant than to know the truth.36
5636097813Non-SequiturLatin for "does not follow." An argument in which the conclusion does not follow from the premises.37
5636097814Arguing From a False PremiseDeriving a conclusion from at least one false premise.38
5636097815Post Hoc Ergo Propter HocLatin for "after this therefore because of this." Arguing that because something follows something else it necessarily is the cause.39

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