FALLACIES

HASTY GENERALIZATION

- evidence is based on general or partial assumption

Example: Politicians are corrupt. (many, in general, tend to, considered)

POST HOC, ERGO PROPTER HOC (after this, therefore because of this)

- False causality (the 1 st event must be the cause of the 2 nd event)

EXAMPLE: “I ate peanuts for breakfast that’s why I got a perfect score in English .”

NON-SEQUITUR (it does not follow)

- A conclusion that cannot be justified by the evidence given.

Example: Your favorite team won today. It means that they will be the champion for the season.

AD HOMINEM (against the person)

- Attacking a person’s character to win an argument.

Example: “You do not have the right to talk about divorce because you come from a broken family.” “Yes,
I agree but mostly to the fact that you are a useless idiot.”

AD MISERICORDIAM (appeal to pity)

- uses emotion to convince people to accept your stance.

Ex: You entered late in class. You approached the teacher by saying that you are sick and you just forced
yourself to enter. Also, there is a heavy traffic because of an accident.

DICTO SIMPLICITER

- An argument based on an unqualified generalization. It starts with a statement that is true for some
cases.
Example: Playing mobile games is good. Therefore, everyone should play mobile games.

FALSE ANALOGY

- Two ideas being compared are not really similar

Students must be allowed to look at their textbooks during an examination.

• Surgeons- x-rays

• Lawyers- briefs

• Carpenters- blueprints

Appeal to Authority (Argumentum ad Verecundiam)

- Appeal to the testimony of an authority outside the authority’s special field of expertise

Example: Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel Prizes, one for chemistry, another for peace, stated his
medication of daily Vitamin C delayed the onset of his cancer by 20 years. Therefore, Vitamin C is
effective in preventing cancer.

Appeal to Authority (Argumentum ad Verecundiam)

Appeal to the testimony of an authority outside the authority’s special field of expertise

Example: Winning Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and for peace does not imply expertise in the prevention of
disease