Examples of Fallacies

Fallacies
• Defined as mistakes in belief based on an unsound argument.
There are many different types of such mistakes that can occur…

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Appeal to Ignorance
• An appeal to ignorance occurs when one person uses
another person’s lack of knowledge on a particular subject
as evidence that their own argument is correct.

“You can’t prove that there aren’t Martians living in caves

under the surface of Mars, so it is reasonable for me to
believe there are.”

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Appeal to Popular Opinion

• This type of appeal is when someone claims that an idea

or belief is true simply because it is what most people
believe.

“Lots of people bought this album, so it must be good.”

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Appeal to Authority

• This type of fallacy is also referred to as Argumentum ad

Verecundia (argument from modesty). In this case, rather than
focusing on the merits of an argument, the arguer will try to attach
their argument to a person of authority in an attempt to give
credence to their argument.

“Well, Isaac Newton believed in Alchemy, do you think you know

more than Isaac Newton?”

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Association Fallacy

• Sometimes called "guilt by association," this occurs when

someone links a specific idea or practice with something or
someone negative in order to infer guilt on another person.

“Hitler was a vegetarian, therefore, I don’t trust vegetarians.”

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Attacking the Person

• Also known as Argumentum ad Hominem (argument against the

man), this is quite a common occurrence in debates and refers to a
person who substitutes a rebuttal with a personal insult.

“Don’t listen to Eddie’s arguments on education, he’s an idiot.”

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Begging the Question

• This type of fallacy is when the conclusion of an argument is

assumed in the phrasing of the question itself.

“If aliens didn’t steal my newspaper, who did?”

(assume that the newspaper was actually stolen).

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Circular Argument

• Also referred to as Circulus in Probando, this fallacy is when an

argument takes its proof from a factor within the argument itself,
rather than from an external one.

“I believe that Frosted Flakes are great because it says so on the

Frosted Flakes packaging.”

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Correlation Implies Causation Fallacy

• Otherwise known as Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, this is a fallacy in

which the person making the argument connects two events
which happen sequentially and assumes that one caused the
other.

“I saw a magpie and ten minutes later, I crashed my car, therefore,

magpies are bad luck.”

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False Dilemma/Dichotomy

• Sometimes referred to as Bifurcation, this type of fallacy occurs

when someone presents their argument in such a way that there
are only two possible options.

“If you don’t vote for this candidate, you must be a Communist.”

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Non Sequitur

• A fallacy wherein someone asserts a conclusion that does not

follow from the propositions.

“All Dubliners are from Ireland. Ronan is not a Dubliner, therefore,

he is not Irish.”

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Slippery Slope

• Assuming that a very small action will inevitably lead to extreme

and often ludicrous (unreasonable) outcomes.

“If we allow gay people to get married, what’s next? Allowing people
to marry their dogs?”

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THE END

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