Reading: Fun with Fallacies

Fun With Fallacies

15 ways we all fail to make sound arguments

Ad hominem/genetic - Discrediting person or idea based on origin. Attacking person rather than their stance. 

 "I don’t care if she is the governor of the state! Her taxation ideas are far too extreme. How can we trust anything she says if she advocates taxes of that nature?"

Wishful thinking - Basing an argument off something that one desires to be true, even if it may not be. 

 "Sure, I’ve heard that it’s better to not eat cheeseburgers every day, but it’s extra protein and protein is good for you."

“Argument” from popularity - Saying something is true because many people think it or has been popularized before. 

“Come on, everyone knows that the government has lied to us in the past. This case isn’t any different.”

Hasty generalizing - Concluding something without logic, drawing parallels without evidence. 

"My friend, who goes to college online, said students from that online college are ignorant about life. That girl we just met, Tracy, goes to that college, so I don’t trust anything she says."

“Argument” from outrage - Appealing to anger. 

From one mom to another: “I can’t believe Shelia lets her kids go online and watch that garbage! I always knew she wasn’t very strict. Now our kids will be over there watching that junk, too!”

Straw man - Not attacking an opponent's position, but attacking something they can win more easily. 

From one politician about another: “He’s a two-faced, liberal, anti-family, and anti-God liar!”

Post hoc - Because one event followed the previous event, the event must have been caused by the previous event (there may not really be a relationship between the two). 

"If it weren’t for the president’s energy policy, we wouldn’t be dealing with these oil spills."

Red herring/smokescreen - Distracting, meaning to mislead. 

 From a teenager confronted by his parent about wrecking the family vehicle: “Why do we have to keep harping on this accident thing? Let’s talk about that A grade I’m getting in algebra.”

Group think - Discrediting individual creativity or independence. Desire for harmony. 

"It’s disgraceful that a member of our church would go out to fast food restaurants every night. Christians believe in family values, including home-cooked meals."

Scare tactics - The appeal to fear. 

 On a radio ad: "Have you been fatigued, irritable, moody? If these symptoms are ignored, you might become depressed or even suicidal! Ward off the blues by taking a pill proven to cheer you up. Millions of people have, and they’re glad they did!"

Poisoning the well - Discrediting the subject someone is speaking about in order to discredit them. 

"You’re having lunch at the market? Well, that is OK, but I hear the market has been targeted by a terrorist. I’d be careful if I were you."

Apple polishing - Flattery

"It takes someone with a really big heart to give to our charity, and you seem like someone who cares more than most."

Guilt trip - Using the guilty emotion to persuade people. 

"Stomachache or not, how could you not eat your dinner after I spent all that time making it!"

Perfectionist fallacy - One must search for the perfect solution (even if it doesn't actually exist). 

About an already-attractive home interior: "I don’t know why we started this home renovation if we’re only doing two of the rooms. Either way, it won’t look right unless we redo the entire house."

Inconsistency ad hominem - Two things that can't be true at the same time. 

From a Bible study group member: “I just don’t get it. One minute she says she’s coming, and then the next, she calls to cancel. I wonder if we can even trust the ideas she offers us here at our Bible study.”

  There are many more fallacies we could look at. This gives you a little taste of how readily we all can fall into making arguments that do not hold up well under scrutiny. May you all become very good writers whose thoughts cannot be challenged!!