AP Language Logical Fallacies Flashcards

9807541786	Ad hominem	Attacking the individual presenting the argument rather than the argument itself	0
9807541787	Begging the question	The writer or speaker assumes the statement under examination to be true.	1
9807541788	False Dichotomy/ False dilemma/ Either-or thinking	Reducing an issue to only have to two possible solutions	2
9807541789	Faulty assumption	An incorrect connection between the evidence and the conclusion.	3
9807541790	Non sequitur	An inference or conclusion that does not follow from established premises or evidence.	4
9807541791	Post hoc, ergo propter hoc	Confusing chance or coincidence with causation. Because one event follows the other doesn't mean the first caused the second.	5
9807541792	Red herring	A distraction inserted to an argument.	6
9807541793	Slippery slope	A faulty assumption that one thing will follow the other, where the two events are usually out of proportion.	7
9807541794	Sunk Cost Fallacy	The idea that a course of action or outcome is inevitable given previous investments.	8
9807541795	Anecdotal	Using vague reference to personal experience to make it validate their own arguments.	9
9807541796	Bandwagon	An appeal to popularity where once many people start doing something, other people want to join in.	10
9807541797	Black or White Fallacy	When we illegitimately limit the number of alternatives available.	11
9807541798	Cherry Picking	Using "cherry-picked" evidence or finding a data pattern that explicitly suits your argument, while withholding the data that would counter your argument.	12
9807541799	Circular Argument	Restating an argument instead of proving it.	13
9807541800	Dogmatism	When only one opinion is considered, and is presented as the only conclusion.	14
9807541801	Equivocation Fallacy	The use of a term or phrase considered key to the argument in an ambiguous manner, so it can have different meanings in different portions of the argument to suit a specific viewpoint.	15
9807541802	Faulty Analogy	When an extended comparison between two concepts or objects is inaccurate because although they may be alike in one respect, they are not necessarily alike in another respect.	16
9807541803	Glittering Generality	An emotionally appealing phrase that is vague enough to appeal to universal values without making any actual points.	17
9807541804	Hasty Generalization	A conclusion that is based upon insufficient or biased evidence. It is rushed to without all the relevant facts being known.	18
9807541805	Loaded question	A question was asked that had a presumption built into it so that it cannot be answered without appearing guilty.	19
9807541806	McNamara Fallacy	Ignoring all factors other than quantitative observations when making a decision.	20
9807541807	Oversimplification	Making a complicated issue seem very simple by using simple terms or suppressing information.	21
9807541808	Stacking the Deck	The "stacking of the deck" by ignoring facts that would undermine the point being made. Different from a hasty generalization in that it implies deliberate ignorance rather than accidental logical error.	22
9807541809	Inscrutability Fallacy	When an individual attempts to prove a point by overwhelming the audience with marginally-relevant facts, statistics, words, or other pieces of information that have no causal links between them. The audience is expected to be impressed without truly understanding the central argument	23