Common Fallacies
To learn more about a specific logical fallacy, hover over it from the list below. To learn more about how to use knowledge of these fallacies, scroll to the bottom of the page.
Argumentum Ad
Hominem
Argumentum Ad Hominem:
Also called "argument to the person." This is arguing against some part of a person's character instead of their argument/ideas.
Ex: Person 1: *presents argument*
Person 2: Yeah? Well, your hair looks terrible.
Hasty Generalization
Hasty Generalization:
This is jumping to a conclusion, and assuming a small percentage to be true for a whole or majority.
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Ex: The terrorists of 9/11 identified as Muslim, therefore all Muslims are terrorists.
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Straw Man
Straw Man:
This involves misrepresenting a viewpoint, or just otherwise attacking a viewpoint that is not actually held by your opponent.
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Ex: Starbucks made their holiday cups more generic by removing Christmas symbols, therefore, they're warring on Christmas.
Argumentum
Ad
Ignorantiam
Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam:
Also called "appeal to ignorance." This is using the inability to disprove something as proof of that thing.
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Ex: Because we don't have proof that he assaulted her, I'm sure he's innocent.
Non Sequitur
Non Sequitur:
Means, "it does not follow." This happens when the evidence/reasoning you use does not logically follow to the conclusion you're trying to make.
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Ex: Wildfires in California are caused by poor forest management.
Tu Quoque
Tu Quoque:
This is when you assume a person's argument is worthless because they fail to follow their own advice.
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Ex: Person 1: You should really stop eating so much candy.
Person 2: You're eating a king size candy bar at this very moment!
Begging the Question
Begging The Question:
Instead of using evidence as proof of a conclusion, this is when you just restate your conclusion as your proof. A common form of this is circular reasoning.
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Ex: Bob is a great speaker because he's an effective communicator.
Argumentum Ad Verecundiam
Argumentum Ad Verecundiam:
Also known as "faulty use of authority." This is relying on a person with little/no expertise in support of a claim, or claiming that one authority is representative of an entire field's ideas.
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Ex: I believe that climate change isn't real because several celebrities told me so.
Argumentum Ad Populum
Argumentum Ad Populum:
Also called "mob appeal." This is using strong beliefs or feelings that your audience shares with you to create unthinking acceptance from them.
Ex: True American patriotism involves respecting our flag and our anthem, no matter the cost.
False Analogy
False Analogy:
This is an "erroneous comparison that distorts the facts in the case being argued." Basically, the things you're analogizing are more different than alike.
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Ex: Politics are the same as sports. It's okay to be indifferent about them both, and neither truly affect our daily lives.
This list is NOT, by any means, a comprehensive list of all the logical fallacies in the world that have ever been created. There are an endless number of fallacies; however, this page includes many of the most commonly used fallacies, as well as some of the ones that from name alone are most confusing.
Post Hoc
Ergo
Propter Hoc
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc:
Means "after this, therefore, because of this." This is assuming that if Event 2 occurred after Event 1, then Event 1 caused Event 2.
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Ex: The earthquake happened after I said a curse word, therefore, me saying the curse word caused the earthquake.
Red Herring:
Also known as "The Chewbacca Defense." This is a diversionary tactic used when an irrelevant issue is brought up to deliberately throw off the conversation.
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Ex: School shootings may be an issue, but abortion kills young ones, too.
Red Herring
Slippery Slope
Slippery Slope:
A version of non sequitur, this is when you claim, without evidence, that one thing will inevitably lead to a second undesirable thing.
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Ex: If the U.S. government established regulations for gun owners, one day they'll take away our guns altogether.
Equivocation
Equivocation:
This is shifting the meaning of a word throughout an argument, usually for deceptive purposes.
Ex: I wrote the entire paper myself. I mean, I plagiarized it, but I did physically copy down the words, so I still wrote it all myself.
Genetic Fallacy
Genetic Fallacy:
A version of Argumentum Ad Hominem, this is when you try to invalidate something by condemning from whom or what it came from.
Ex: You shouldn't buy a Volkswagen. Those cars were made originally by Nazis.
Identifying Fallacies in an Everyday Context
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When identifying or pointing out fallacies you see in daily life, it's important to keep in mind that there are certain ways of doing so that can be problematic. Therefore, here are some guidelines for identifying fallacies in an everyday context:
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(1) Be sure that when you notice a fallacy in someone's argument, you recognize that it isn't representative of their entire argument. One fallacy does not invalidate an entire stream of reasoning, and assuming that the use of a fallacy makes the whole thing invalid is actually a fallacy in and of itself-- that's hasty generalization!
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(2) Going along with #1, don't use your knowledge of fallacies to shut down arguments. Allow the person to finish speaking. Don't interrupt them to call them out; that will silence them and allow you to ignore important things they may have said.
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(3) Recognize that the line between what is and what is not a fallacy is fuzzy. For example, sometimes who a person is and their character IS relevant to an argument, it's not always argumentum ad hominem.
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(4) Don't be a snob. If you're going to call someone out on a fallacy and be that person who uses the Latin name, at the very least, explain it. Explain a fallacy even if it doesn't have a Latin name, because most fallacies have confusing names. And when you explain it, explain it in an easy-to-understand way, without using jargon.
(5) Even though fallacies have been around for a very, very long time, this doesn't mean that they're necessarily any better than any other form of reasoning. Be open to reasoning that may sound fallacious, but could actually be valid.
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(6) Most importantly, recognize that logical fallacies are often used to shut down contributions from and to alienate and silence those who are systemically oppressed--women, people of color, etc. Be conscious of the fact that fallacies were created by people with privilege (educated white men), and are often used in ways that further the power of those already with privilege.
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