LOGICAL

Fallacies

Maurene T. Belandrez, LPT

 SCENARIO
Terry and Michael are debating an
issue. Terry is presenting an
argument with facts and logical
conclusions. Michael is not prepared
for this debate, so he cannot
present a meaningful, cohesive
argument. He uses other tactics
that are not productive to the
discussion. What types of things
might Michael resort to saying to
try and make it seem like he has an
actual point?
 LESSON
Objectives

1 2 3
Define fallacy Enumerate the Practice
using an types of recognizing
activity fallacy after fallacies in a
the discussion seatwork
WHAT ARE
Logical Fallacies?

“A fallacy is the use of

invalid or otherwise
faulty reasoning, or
"wrong moves" in the
construction of an
argument.”
COMMON Bandwagon Ad Hominem
LOGICAL
FALLACIES Red Herring Argument from
Ignorance

Two wrongs
Appeal to Pity
make a right
Ad Hominem

Scare Tactics False Dilemma

Red Herring

Strawman Equivocation
 BANDWAGON
Appeal to common belief
argumentum ad populum

What is it?
Example
The bandwagon fallacy, also known as the
appeal to the masses or appeal to common People are more likely to vote for the
belief fallacy, it is an act of claiming that candidate they think is winning.
something is true because everyone believes
it. Whether that belief is actually true or not Fashion trends seem to be
particularly vulnerable to the
doesn’t matter—if an arguer claims that a
bandwagon effect.
position is true because it’s popular, the
arguer is using the bandwagon fallacy.
 RED HERRING
Ignoratio elenchi

Example
What is it? An argument against raising salaries might go
The red herring fallacy is a form of something like this:
argumentation that relies on
distraction. Red herring arguments "We can't raise salaries, but we still provide great
present irrelevant information that benefits for our employees." This argument is a red
diverts attention from the main herring because the mention of employee benefits
topic of discussion. distracts from the real point, that salaries will not
be raised.
 TWO WRONGS MAKE
A RIGHT
What is it?
If you try to justify an act/belief by
pointing out in others a similar act/belief,
you are committing the fallacy of "two
wrongs make a right." This fallacy can
occur by suggesting "if others are doing it,
I can too" (common practice).
Example
Marie made fun of Sarah's shoes
yesterday. Today, Sarah makes fun of
Marie's haircut and tells her teacher
that it should be okay because of what
Marie did yesterday.
 SCARE TACTICS
Appeal to fear
argumentum in terrorem

What is it? Example

The scare tactics fallacy is argumentation
that uses fear or the threat for Timmy: Mom, what if I don’t believe in
potentially adverse outcomes. When fear, God?
not based on evidence or reason, is being
Mom: Then you burn in Hell forever.
used as the primary motivator to get
others to accept an idea, proposition, or Why do you ask?
conclusion. Timmy: No reason.
 STRAW MAN
Intentionally misrepresenting the other side's
argument to make it easier to defeat instead of
addressing the other side's actual argument.
Making a straw man argument means that one is
creating and then arguing against a position on the
issue that no one is actually making. This is usually
in the form of an extreme or exaggerated
assertion.

Example
X: I’m in favor of lowering sentences for drug offenses.
Y: So you think our children should be running around doing drugs!
 AD HOMINEM
Argumentum ad hominem

What is it? Example

Attacking the person making
the argument, rather than the
argument itself, when the
attack on the person is
completely irrelevant to the
argument the person is making.
You can’t trust his opinion because
he’s a convicted criminal.
She’s just saying that because she’s
jealous of my success.
I can’t believe you’re taking his side;
he’s a known liar.
 ARGUMENT FROM
IGNORANCE
Ad Ignorantiam
What is it?
Example
The assumption of a conclusion or
fact based primarily on lack of You can’t prove that you are
evidence to the contrary. Usually best innocent, therefore you are guilty
described by, “absence of evidence is to me.
not evidence of absence.”

X is true because you cannot prove that X is false.

X is false because you cannot prove that X is true.
 APPEAL TO PITY
ad misericordiam

What is it? Example

The attempt to distract from the
truth of the conclusion by the use of
pity.
Person 1 is accused of Y, but person 1
is pathetic.
Therefore, person 1 is innocent.
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.
 FALSE DILEMMA
What is it?
A false dilemma fallacy makes
the reader believes that they
have only two mutually
exclusive choices and no other
third options. These options are
presented to them in such a
way that one of them is
evidently worse than the other..
Example
Would you rather eat the salad or sleep
hungry at night?
You are either with God or against him.
If you don’t drive this car, you might as
well not drive at all.
EQUIVOCATION
double speak
What is it?
The equivocation fallacy can be defined as a
logical fallacy in which a term or phrase is
used multiple times to convey different
meanings, making the argument it is used
illogically. The equivocation fallacy happens
in two ways:
When words or phrases are used in
ambiguous ways
When the word used means more than
one thing in the sentence
Example
Someone might argue, “A bat is a
mammal; therefore, baseball
players use mammals to hit
baseballs.” equivocating on the
word “bat” which can mean both
a flying mammal and a piece of
sports equipment.
ALWAYS BE
CRITICAL OF WHAT
YOU COMMUNICATE
BECAUSE WORDS
HAVE INTEGRITY
JUST LIKE YOU DO.
 Logical fallacies are
common flaws in reasoning
WRAP that weaken or invalidate
UP your argument's logic.

QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!