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logical-fallacy

like 6

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Plagiarism is deceitful because it is dishonest.

circular reasoning

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Bert: How do eyes project an image to your brain? Ernie: Think of it as a little guy in your brain watching the movie projected by your eyes. Bert: Ok, but what is happening in the little guy in your head’s brain? Ernie: Well, think of it as a little guy in his brain watching a movie...

circular reasoning

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or group in order to discredit an idea with which the person or group is associated; distracts the reader from the real issue

ad hominem

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Allowing overnight guests in the dorm rooms will lead to nothing but trouble: promiscuity, teen pregnancy, and eventually, a bunch of unwed mothers on campus, trying to complete their degrees while raising a child.

faulty generalization

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I don’t care what scientists say, my mother always told me that the world is flat, and she would never lie to me!

fallacy of credibility

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You should eat more green leafy vegetables, because Ms. Lord says so, and she is an expert on grammar and vocabulary.

fallacy of credibility

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Paranormal activity is real because I've seen a ghost.

circular reasoning

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My mother always told me that if I went outside right after bathing, during winter, I would catch pneumonia.

faulty generalization

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occurs when your opponent over-simplifies or misrepresents your argument (i.e., setting up a "straw man") to make it easier to attack or refute

fallacy of extension

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We cannot support immigrants because we have too many homeless and poor Americans.

false dilemma

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Consider the following exchange: Omar: I think capital punishment is a necessary component of our justice system and should remain legal. Kayla: So you are saying that murder should be legal and it is okay for us to go around killing people just because we think they deserve it? That isn't right. Of what fallacy is Kayla guilty?

fallacy of extension

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Sometimes flu vaccines don’t work, therefore vaccines are useless.

faulty generalization

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Timmy: Mom, what if I don’t believe in God? Mom: Then you burn in Hell forever. Why do you ask? Timmy: No reason.

appeal to emotion

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"People generally like to walk on the beach. Beaches have sand. Therefore, having sand floors in homes would be a great idea!"

fallacy of logic

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Sugar is an essential component of the body...a key material in all sorts of metabolic processes,' neglecting the fact that it is glucose (blood sugar) not ordinary table sugar (sucrose) that is the vital nourishment.

equivocation

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Angus declares that Scotsmen do not put sugar on their porridge, to which Lachlan points out that he is a Scotsman and puts sugar on his porridge. Furious, like a true Scot, Angus yells that no true Scotsman sugars his porridge.

intentional

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Discoveries from Archimedes should be dismissed because he made them in a bathtub and not a proper university laboratory.

ad hominem

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"Andrea Starkk has written several books arguing that the media harms women when it comes to body image. But Starkk is an ugly, bitter person, so you shouldn't listen to her."

ad hominem

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"A baseball pitcher bought new socks before he pitched a winning game. The new socks caused a pitcher to throw faster! He will wear the new socks for EVERY game now." This is an example of...

false causality

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"That politician wants you to think he loves America. His last rally had 20 American flags flying behind him" IS an example of this fallacy.

ad populum

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This fallacy is a distraction from the argument typically with some sentiment that seems to be relevant but isn’t really on-topic.

fallacy of relevance

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Power lines cause cancer. I met a little boy with cancer who lived just 20 miles from a power line who looked into my eyes and said, in his weak voice, “Please do whatever you can so that other kids won’t have to go through what I am going through.” I urge you to vote for this bill to tear down all power lines and replace them with monkeys on treadmills.

appeal to emotion

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“I sneezed exactly at the same time the power went off. My sneeze must’ve done something to make the power go off. “

false causality

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A commercial about abandoned animals needing shelter or a forever home. They ask for a small donation to help these struggling animals.

appeal to emotion

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Melvin: Boss, why do I have to work weekends when nobody else in the company does? Boss: Am I sensing insubordination? I can find another employee very quickly, thanks to Craigslist, you know.

appeal to emotion

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Salesman: This car gets better than average gas mileage and is one of the most reliable cars according to Consumer Reports. Will: I doubt it—you obviously just want to sell me that car.

ad hominem

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President Reagan was a great communicator because he had the knack of talking effectively to the people.

circular reasoning

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Ms. Long has suggested that our schools let students take statistics instead of algebra to graduate. Frankly, it is puzzling to me that she thinks algebra is a useless subject.

fallacy of extension

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Naima is scratched by a cat while visiting her friend. Two days later she comes down with a fever. Naima concludes that the cat's scratch must be the cause of her illness.

false causality

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Speaker 1: I think it’s terrible that a game hunter killed Cecil the lion. Speaker 2: What about all the babies that are killed every day by abortion?

fallacy of relevance

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Boris is not qualified to make suggestions about our penal system. As an ex-convict, he would always take the criminals’ side.

ad hominem

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Because you found something difficult to understand, or are unaware of how it works, you made out like it is probably not true.

intentional

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Pastor Pete: People are turning to God everywhere! 9 out of 10 people I interviewed said that they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Fred: Where did you find these people you interviewed? Pastor Pete: In my church.

faulty generalization

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When someone says, "Either schools need to fully open immediately and no students should wear masks or all teachers are Communists!"

false dilemma

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Farmer McDonald: Ever since they put up that new power plant across the river, we haven't had a bit of rain. I'm tellin' you, mankind has got too big for its britches when it fiddles around with nature.

false causality

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My doctor is overweight, so I don't believe anything he tells me about improving my health.

ad hominem

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Even without watching the movie, I just know that it would not be as good as the book.

faulty generalization

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Bob Jones is a monster who likes to separate immigrant families in detention centers. How could you vote for someone like that??

fallacy of extension

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"People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor."

fallacy of extension

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You can't believe Bob's idea. He's a socialist.

ad hominem

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You are either a leader or a follower.

false dilemma

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Joseph can’t be class president, he’s poor!”

ad hominem

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My opponent argues that we should abolish the soda tax. It's a shame that he wants to encourage people to eat and drink unhealthily. I say we keep it.

fallacy of extension

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"Because I forgot to leave my porch light on, someone robbed my house."

false causality

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Some people say that the coronavirus is dangerous. Others say that it is not dangerous. That must mean that some coronavirus vaccinations are fine while others are not.

fallacy of relevance

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Eating five candy bars and drinking two sodas before a test helps me get better grades. I did that and got an A on my last test in history.

false causality

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This happens when you assume that something is acceptable just because it is very common.

ad populum

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If I don’t take this A.P. class, then I won’t do well on the exam. If I don’t do well on the A.P. exam, then I can’t get into a good college. If I can’t get into a good college, then I’ll never get a good job. If I can’t get a good job, then I’m going to have to live in my parents’ basement forever. Guess I’ll sign up for the A.P. class.

faulty generalization

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You got a cold two nights ago but last night you stayed up really late and now you are no longer sick, so it must be because you stayed up really late last night. What fallacy is being committed?

false causality

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That type of car is poorly made; a friend of mine has one, and it continually gives him trouble.

faulty generalization

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Autumn is trying to raise money for her university's library. In her address to the board of trustees, she says, "We must raise tuition to cover the cost of new books. Otherwise the library will be forced to close." Of what fallacy is this an example?

false dilemma

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If we don’t bail out the big automakers, the US economy will collapse. Therefore, we need to bail out the automakers.

appeal to emotion

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Verizon advertising the newest Samsung Galaxy phone that they claim everyone else who has bought it loves the new product.

ad populum

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I think that businesses should not have to limit the amount of pollutants they release into the atmosphere because Rush Limbaugh says that there is no real evidence for industrial pollutants causing the Greenhouse Effect.

fallacy of credibility

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I don’t see what’s wrong with engaging the services of a professional escort.

appeal to emotion

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"Dra. Vicky Belo said that all kind of cars need fuel to start." What fallacy is being committed in the sentence above?

fallacy of credibility

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We surveyed all the customers in the store and they all agreed that staying open 24 hours would be a great idea. We need to put together a 24-hour schedule as soon as possible.

ad populum

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John agrees with me that drinking energy drinks are bad for you.

fallacy of credibility

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I know you don’t like the kitty-cat sweater that Grandma knitted for you, but she worked so hard on it and it will make her happy to see you wear it in the family holiday photo.

appeal to emotion

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Dicky: So how do you think life began? Ralphie: Simple. Aliens from another planet seeded this planet with life billions of years ago. Dicky: OK, but how did that alien life form begin? Ralphie: Simple. Aliens from another planet seeded that planet with life.

circular reasoning

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Thanks to her enduring popularity with employees, Annie Smith is the best-liked CEO in our company's history.

ad hominem

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Justin Beiber wears Ray Bans, so you should buy a pair to wear in the sun.

ad populum

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God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is a reliable source because it is the word of God.

circular reasoning

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Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan are banging at the doors, and the political establishment, consisting of both politicians and the media, seems determined not to let them in on the grounds that they have no public support.

circular reasoning

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marijuana shouldn’t be legalized because it wasn’t socially acceptable.

circular reasoning

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the following is an example of...

faulty generalization

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While I think most people shouldn't be allowed to falsely claim they need a support animal on airplanes, I really do need my dog to calm me down. It's not my fault my doctor won't give me authorization.

intentional

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"Everyone uses Social Media to fundraise, therefore there's no problem with asking for money on social media sites as long as it's going to charity" SHOWS evidence of what fallacy?

ad populum

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Cell phones stop students from concentrating in class because they are distracting.

circular reasoning

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Person #1: We need to start high school later in the morning. Person #2: Oh, so you think we should all just sleep in until noon and have school until it gets dark?

fallacy of extension

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"You asked me why the unemployment rate has increased once more, but I'm going to tell you what has an even worse effect on morale in this country."

fallacy of relevance

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People who read are smart.

faulty generalization

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He was born to Catholic parents and raised as a Catholic until his confirmation in 8th grade. Therefore, he is bound to want to defend some Catholic traditions and, therefore, cannot be taken seriously.

ad hominem

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Pvt. Joe Bowers: What are these electrolytes? Do you even know? Secretary of State: They're... what they use to make Brawndo! Pvt. Joe Bowers: But why do they use them to make Brawndo? Secretary of Defense: [raises hand after a pause] Because Brawndo's got electrolytes.

circular reasoning

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All Greek food causes illness; when I traveled through Greece, I got food poisoning.

faulty generalization

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“I really deserve an “A” on this paper, professor. Not only did I study during my grandmother’s funeral, but I also passed up the heart transplant surgery, even though that was the first matching donor in 3 years.”

appeal to emotion

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If everyone lived his or her life exactly like Jesus lived his life, the world would be a beautiful place!

appeal to emotion

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I called my friend and he didn't answer. He wasn't home or he was dead.

false dilemma

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Senator A: "We should spend less on our military budget and spend more on health and education." Senator B: "So you want to leave the country defenseless?"

fallacy of extension

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My Aunt was in the hospital for 6 weeks because she didn't wear a seatbelt.

faulty generalization

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"Trump won't release his tax returns and prove he's clean, therefore he must have something to hide."

intentional

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Jack: You should stop smoking - it's bad for you. Jill: Look who's talking! You smoke three packs a day!

ad hominem

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I. The Ganges river is flooded due to large sheets of ice coming down from the Himalayas. II. Many people in the Himalayan ranges lost their houses under huge sheets of ice.

false causality

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If you don't have a recycling bin you hate the earth and don't care about pollution.

fallacy of extension

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During the first week of July ice cream sales climbed, and during the second week murder rates climbed. Therefore, ice cream inspires murder.

false causality

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All engineers are introverts who would rather relate to computers than people.

faulty generalization

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Christine has a terrible experience with a boyfriend. She decides that all boys are mean. This is an example of which logical fallacy?

faulty generalization

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“If you really loved me, you would buy me everything I ever wanted!”

false dilemma

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My professor, who has a Ph.D. in Astronomy, once told me that ghosts are real. Therefore, ghosts are real.

fallacy of credibility

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"That's what abortion is - killing innocent humans for money. Abortionists are government licensed hit men."

ad hominem

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It is ridiculous to have spent thousands of dollars to rescue those two whales trapped in the Arctic ice. Why, look at all the people trapped in jobs they don’t like.

fallacy of logic

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Audrey: I am a human being. I am not a cyborg from the future here to destroy humanity. Fred: Prove that you are human! Cyborgs don't pass out when they lose a lot of blood. Here's a knife. Audrey: Get to bed, Freddie. And no more SYFY channel before bed!

intentional

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Beyond Meat burgers are healthy for us because they do not have any meat in them.

fallacy of credibility

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We should give the other applicant the job because he has a poor family and he needs to provide for them. It looks like he suffers a lot!

appeal to emotion

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According to my brain, my brain is reliable.

circular reasoning

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"Coronavirus originated in China, therefore all Chinese people are sick."

fallacy of extension

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Whilst rallying support for his plan to fundamentally undermine citizens' rights, the Supreme Leader told the people they were either on his side, or they were on the side of the enemy.

false dilemma

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You should never gamble! Once you start gambling you find it hard to stop. Soon you will spend all your money on gambling, and eventually you will turn to crime just to support your gambling addiction. ¡Nunca debes apostar! Una vez que empiece a jugar, le resultará difícil dejar de jugar. Pronto gastará todo su dinero en juegos de azar y, finalmente, recurrirá a la delincuencia solo para apoyar su adicción al juego.

faulty generalization

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"I should receive an 'A' in this class. I had a tough week!" Hadi begged

appeal to emotion

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I know you don't like the kitty-cat sweater that Grandma knitted for you, but she worked so hard on it and it will make her happy to see you wear it in the family holiday photo.

appeal to emotion