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Logical Fallacies and Arguments

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Circular Reasoning

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Using the conclusion of an argument as a premise in the same argument. Example: 'I am truthful because everything I say is true.'

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Hasty Generalization

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Drawing a general conclusion from a small or unrepresentative sample. Example: 'I met two people from X country and they were rude, so everyone from there must be rude.'

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Appeal to Flattery

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Using praise to disguise a lack of real evidence in an argument. Example: 'As an intelligent person, you can see why this plan is flawless.'

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Moving the Goalposts

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Changing the criteria for a conclusion or point of contention after it has been met. Example: 'Even though the product meets the safety standards you said were necessary, now you say those standards are not enough.'

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Appeal to Novelty

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Assuming that because something is new, it must be better than something older. Example: 'This software must be better because it was released last week.'

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Genetic Fallacy

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Judging something as either good or bad on the basis of where it comes from, or from whom it comes. Example: 'This painting can't be worth much; it was done by an unknown artist.'

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Cherry Picking

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Selectively presenting only evidence that supports your argument while ignoring evidence to the contrary. Example: 'Research shows that chocolate is healthy!' neglecting studies that highlight negative effects.

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False Dichotomy

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Presenting two opposite options as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist. Example: 'We must either cut education funding or face economic ruin.'

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Slippery Slope

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Arguing without evidence that taking a particular step will inevitably lead to a chain of negative events. Example: 'If we allow students to use calculators, they'll become too dependent and never learn basic math skills.'

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Appeal to Pity

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Using the audience's sympathy, concern, or guilt to persuade them to agree with the argument. Example: 'She's been through so much lately, we should let her off the hook for losing the money.'

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Sunk Cost Fallacy

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Continuing a behavior or endeavor as a result of previously invested resources (time, money or effort). Example: 'I've been at this job for so long, I can't quit now - even though I'm miserable.'

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Moral Equivalence

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Comparing minor misdeeds with major atrocities, suggesting that both are equally immoral. Example: 'Those who download music illegally are no better than those who commit grand theft.'

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Straw Man

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Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack. Example: 'People who support space exploration must hate solving problems on Earth.'

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Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

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Assuming that because one event occurred after another, the first event must have caused the second. Example: 'The rooster crows before sunrise; therefore, the rooster's crowing causes the sun to rise.'

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Argument from Silence

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Asserting that the lack of evidence is itself evidence for or against a claim. Example: 'The lack of messages from aliens proves that interstellar travel is not possible.'

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Ad Hominem

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Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself. Example: 'You can't believe John's argument on climate change; he failed high school science.'

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Appeal to Tradition

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Assuming that something is better or correct simply because it is older, traditional, or 'always has been done.' Example: 'This medicine must be good because people have been using it for centuries.'

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Loaded Question

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Asking a question that contains an assumption within it, so that any answer would seem to endorse that assumption. Example: 'Have you stopped cheating on your exams?'

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Burden of Proof

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Arguing that the burden of proving a claim rests on someone else, not the person advocating it. Example: 'Prove that ghosts do not exist, otherwise they must.'

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Appeal to Ignorance

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Claiming something is true because it has not been proven false, or vice versa. Example: 'Since you cannot disprove the existence of Bigfoot, he must exist.'

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Red Herring

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Diverting attention away from the original argument by introducing a separate issue. Example: 'Why worry about surveillance when we have so many people living in poverty?'

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Appeal to Fear

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Making an argument by increasing fear and prejudice towards the opposing side. Example: 'If you don't support this policy, you'll put our nation at risk.'

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Appeal to Hypocrisy

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Discrediting an opponent's argument by asserting their failure to act consistently with the content of their argument. Example: 'How can you argue for vegetarianism when you wear leather shoes?'

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Ambiguity

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Using a double meaning or ambiguity of language to mislead or misrepresent the truth. Example: 'The sign said 'fine for parking here,' so I parked there.'

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False Analogy

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Comparing two things that are not really comparable in relevant respects. Example: 'Employees are like nails. Just as nails must be hit on the head to work, so must employees.'

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Tu Quoque

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Avoiding having to engage with criticism by turning it back on the accuser. Example: 'You can't accuse me of being selfish; you haven't volunteered a single day in your life.'

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Appeal to Authority

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Arguing that a claim is true because an authority or expert agrees with it, without presenting the evidence behind the claim. Example: 'This energy drink must be healthy because a famous athlete endorses it.'

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Bandwagon

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Arguing that one must accept or reject an argument because of everyone else who accepts it or rejects it. Example: 'Everyone is buying this phone; it must be the best one available.'

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No True Scotsman

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Modifying the subject of a claim to exclude a counterexample and protect a universal generalization. Example: 'No Scotsman would drink wine. And if he does, then he's not a true Scotsman.'

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False Cause

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Assuming that a real or perceived relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other. Example: 'Every time I wash my car, it rains the next day. Washing my car must cause it to rain.'

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