Category
Logical Fallacy
Errors in reasoning that make an argument feel sound when it isn't - from straw men to slippery slopes.
20 concepts
Ad Hominem
Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument itself.
Logical FallacyAppeal to Emotion
Using feelings rather than evidence to persuade - bypassing the argument and going straight for the heart.
Logical FallacyAppeal to False Authority
Using an expert's opinion as evidence when they have no relevant expertise - fame and credentials aren't the same thing.
Logical FallacyAppeal to Nature
Arguing that something is good because it's natural, or bad because it's artificial - as though nature is always benign.
Logical FallacyAppeal to Tradition
The assumption that something is better, correct, or preferable simply because it's the way things have always been done.
Logical FallacyBase Rate Fallacy
Ignoring general statistical information in favour of specific but less reliable details about an individual case.
Logical FallacyBurden of Proof
The obligation to provide evidence rests with the person making the claim - not with the person questioning it.
Logical FallacyCircular Reasoning
An argument that uses its own conclusion as one of its premises - going round in circles without proving anything.
Logical FallacyFalse Dilemma
Presenting only two options when more exist - forcing a choice between extremes and ignoring everything in between.
Logical FallacyFalse Equivalence
Treating two things as equally valid or important when they clearly aren't.
Logical FallacyHasty Generalisation
Drawing a broad conclusion from too few examples - treating a small sample as though it represents the whole picture.
Logical FallacyJust-World Fallacy
The belief that people get what they deserve - that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.
Logical FallacyLoaded Question
A question that contains a built-in assumption, making it impossible to answer without appearing to accept that assumption.
Logical FallacyLump of Labour Fallacy
The mistaken belief that there is a fixed amount of work available in an economy, so one group's gain must be another's loss.
Logical FallacyMoving the Goalposts
Changing the criteria for proof or success after they've been met - ensuring that no evidence is ever good enough.
Logical FallacyNo True Scotsman
When someone redefines a group to exclude counterexamples rather than accepting that the counterexamples disprove their claim.
Logical FallacyPost Hoc
Assuming that because one thing happened after another, the first thing caused the second - confusing sequence with causation.
Logical FallacyRed Herring
Introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue.
Logical FallacySlippery Slope
Arguing that one small step will inevitably lead to a chain of increasingly extreme consequences, without evidence that the chain is likely.
Logical FallacyStraw Man
Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.