Friday, 03 December 2010
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The 10 Most Frequent Logical Fallacies
Useful? Yes. Interesting? Not so much.
Just because I like to do things the right way when I can and we are bloggers, I thought it'd be nice to post a blog of reference. Here is a list of10 of the most frequent logical fallacies and examples:
1. Ad Hominem: This fallacy disregards a valid argument by attacking the person making it.
"I think eating cheese is better than eating trash."
"You would think that, you're from Wisconsin."Attacking the person so that their future statements are invalid is called Poisoning The Well, and if you really want to get nerdy with it, can engender questions of self-fulfilling prophecies.
2. Begging the Question: This fallacy is committed when a statement is believed to be true because the statement says it is true.
"I believe in God because the Bible says He exists and God wrote the Bible."
3. Generalization: This fallacy is committed when a conclusion is drawn from an incomplete (Hasty Generalization) or inaccurate (Biased Generalization) set of data.
"All funny people have big, red noses."
"How do you know?"
"All the clowns I've ever seen had big, red noses."4. Appeal to Ignorance: When the burden of proof is placed on the wrong side, or when lack of evidence for the negative is said to support the positive (or vice versa).
"I've never seen anything disproving the existence of flying pigs, so I think they exist."
5. Questionable Cause: When a statement assumes that one event causes another simply because they occur together.
In the Middle Ages, it was thought that grain left in a dark corner turned into rats because over time the grain disappeared and rats appeared.
"Rap music is causing violence and drug use in society."
6. False Dilemma: Stating that X must be true because Y is false, when in reality both could be false.
"I didn't make the sky fall down, so you must have!"
7. Straw Man: Arguing against a distorted representation to appear correct.
Kanye West to George Bush. Definitely a bit of Ad Hominem in there, too.
8. Slippery Slope: If one action occurs, then others will happen afterwards.
"If we allow gay marriage now, then next we'll have polygamy!"
9. Appeal to Tradition: A statement is true because it was true or was considered true in the past.
"'Cuz that's the way we've always done it."
10. Appeal to Emotion: A statement is true because it feels true.
"But taking my underage girlfriend to bars with a fake ID feels so right."
Feel free to use these on me whenever you see fit. As iron sharpens iron.
This site has a much longer list and more details. I highly recommend it.
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About the Author
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- From: Huck
- Name: Huck
- Location: Olympia, Washington, United States
- About Me: I like to think of myself as a pragmatic idealist, which probably comes from my existential background. I know what I want my life to look like, so I try to experience as much as I can to learn how to make it that way. I've been halfway around the world looking, and I can't wait to bring that world home again.
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Comments (42)
All these sound like how Climate Change Alarmists argue.
I'm not sure all the readers will understand what the burden of proof is, believe it or not.
Great job explaining these so anyone can understand. I encounter these all the time.
I assume the neo-atheist's fundamentalist views are also included somewhere here too?
I like it.
they should have the "and then" game next to slippery slope.
Odd
Hey!!! Not to be political (because I don't choose sides,) but I see many examples of fallacies on Fox monologues.
Thanks for a much needed dose of logic...but why is this on man-couch? Isn't it applicable to women too? :P
Haha, I literally just started learning these in my Philosophy class. Interesting stuff, hm?
@haloed@xanga - Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
hahahh this takes me back to AP english in high school.
but one time all these people were jay walking across the street and i didn't want to and my friend said everyone else is doing it. and i said thats a fallacy!it didn't take too well with her. hahahahGenerally the slippery slope fallacy takes it out to an extreme. If a probable logical progression can be shown, it is not a fallacy.
Hahaha, I learned about these in my speech class when preparing to persuade the class with a topic of our choice. I think the slippery slope one pisses me off the most, usually because I see it being associated with gay marriage. *shrugs*
@Dargon@xanga - Very true. Most of these would simply be strategies of debate if they had a strong reasonings to produce their conclusions.
ad hominems are just funny. Nothing illogical about humor.
That statement is illogical, but logic can be a bore.
Slippery Slope is similar to Appeal to Consequence, which is one I come across a lot. eg "Without free will, people can't be held responsible for their behaviour", to which the answer would be "The truth may be that they aren't responsible".
Awesome post. I see/hear these very often and I can't help but laugh, although ad hominems can be extremely humorous if used properly.
Ooh. This brings back memories from my Philo. class.
@Uek@xanga - Among other things, yes. :)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you @Uek@xanga - you're one charming mother fucker aren't you. How about FUCK YOU UEK, how do you like that one?
haha rhetoric
Existentialist background? LOOK AT MY PHOTO!
You sir are awesome in my eyes already. And yes ad hominem is funny. I also like ad popularum logical fallacies, people use that a lot too.
Number 2 should be number 1.
I like ignoring people when I know they're right, or denying them, because I'm immature.
"Well, I think you're wrong about the sun being a star, but I won't argue with you, because I know I'm right and I'd like to be mature."Ha. Suck on that.