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A fallacy is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning in the construction of an argument [1] [2] that may appear to be well-reasoned if unnoticed. The term was introduced in the Western intellectual tradition by the Aristotelian De Sophisticis Elenchis. [3]
Apr 20, 2023 · Learn what logical fallacies are, how to spot them, and how to avoid them in your own argumentation. Find out the most common types of fallacies, such as red herring, bandwagon, and straw man, and see examples of each.
- An ad hominem (Latin for “to the person”) is a type of informal logical fallacy . Instead of arguing against a person’s position, an ad hominem arg...
- An appeal to ignorance (ignorance here meaning lack of evidence) is a type of informal logical fallacy . It asserts that something must be true bec...
- People sometimes confuse cognitive bias and logical fallacies because they both relate to flawed thinking. However, they are not the same: Cognitiv...
- Lindsay Kramer
- Ad hominem. An ad hominem fallacy is one that attempts to invalidate an opponent’s position based on a personal trait or fact about the opponent rather than through logic.
- Red herring. A red herring is an attempt to shift focus from the debate at hand by introducing an irrelevant point. Example: Losing a tooth can be scary, but have you heard about the Tooth Fairy?
- Straw man. A straw man argument is one that argues against a hyperbolic, inaccurate version of the opposition rather than their actual argument. Example: Erin thinks we need to stop using all plastics, right now, to save the planet from climate change.
- Equivocation. An equivocation is a statement crafted to mislead or confuse readers or listeners by using multiple meanings or interpretations of a word or simply through unclear phrasing.
A fallacy is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning in the construction of an argument. All forms of human communication can contain fallacies. Because of their variety, fallacies are challenging to classify. They can be classified by their structure ( formal fallacies) or content ( informal fallacies ).
Learn the meaning of fallacy as a false or mistaken idea, an erroneous character, or a deceptive argument. See synonyms, examples, word history, and related phrases of fallacy.
FALLACY definition: 1. an idea that a lot of people think is true but is in fact false: 2. an idea that a lot of…. Learn more.
Jun 6, 2024 · A fallacy is an erroneous reasoning that has the appearance of soundness. Learn about the three kinds of fallacies (material, verbal, and formal) and their subcategories, such as accident, irrelevant conclusion, and circular argument.
