Philosophy

Informal Fallacies

17 cards·by randik8

Appeal to Pity

Arguer tries to make audience feel sorry for them, but feelings are irrelevant to the strength of an argument.

Appeal to Fear

Arguer threatens to harm listener, but a threat is irrelevant to the strength of an argument.

Appeal to Consequences

The Arguer refers to positive or negative consequences in order to argue that a certain action is good or bad, right or wrong. However, an a

Appeal to Ignorance

Something is true because it has not been disproven or has not been proven. Lack of prove does not constitute proof.

Appeal to Novelty

Arguer claims that their conclusion is true because it is new or modern, or that an idea is false because it is old or traditional. The fac

Appeal to Tradition

Arguer claims that their conclusion is true because it is old or traditional or that an idea is false because it is new or modern. The fact

Appeal to People

Arguer claims that their conclusion is true because lots of people believe it. The fact that lots of people believe something is true is irr

Ad Hominem Abusive

Reject a person’s argument because of their character. The strength of a person’s argument is not related to their character

Ad Hominem Circumstantial

Reject a person’s argument because they have ulterior motives. The strength of an argument is not related to their motives.

Ad Hominem Non-fallacious

The person’s argument is legitimately affected by their character, motives or actions and there is no fallacy.

Accident Faulty Rule Application

A general rule is applied to a specific situation. General rules don’t apply to specific situations.

Begging the Question

The arguer assumes the truth of the conclusion and/or presents it as one of the premises. Premises are provided to provide support for the c

Complex Question

A question is posed that assumes what the questioner is trying to establish. Any answer will implicate the person questioned.

Missing the Point

The arguer draws a conclusion that is entirely different from the one suggested by the premises. The relevance of the premises is directed t

Naturalistic Fallacy

The arguer supports a claim by saying that it is natural or found in nature. The fact that that an activity can be found in nature has no be

Straw Man

Arguer distorts the the argument of their opponent, then attacks distorted argument. What is being attacked is not the real argument and is

Red Herring

Arguer lead the discussion away from the real argument altogether. The presented premises have nothing to do with the real argument.