How to trick your opponents and avoid rhetorical scam
artists
WHAT IS A FALLACY ANYWAY?
 A FALSE OR MISLEADING ARGUMENT THAT CAN
BE DIVIDED INTO THREE CATEGORIES
 LOGICAL FALLACIES: ERRORS IN REASONING
 EMOTIVE FALLACIES: REPLACE LOGIC WITH
EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION
 RHETORICAL FALLACIES: SIDESTEP LOGIC WITH
LANGUAGE
WE SEE EXAMPLES OF FALLACIES EVERDAY. ADVERTISERS,
POLITICIANS, NEWS OUTLETS , AND MORE ALL RELY ON TACTICS
DESIGNED TO PERSUADE THROUGH FALSE OR FAULTY
REASONING.
THE LOGICAL FALLACIES
 HASTY GENERALIZATION
LEAPING TO CONCLUSIONS
BASED ON AN INSUFFICIENT
NUMBER OF EXAMPLES
1.
SOME STUDENTS IN THE
CLASS ARE LAZY.
THEREFORE, ALL
STUDENTS MUST BE
LAZY.
2.
MY UNCLE SMOKED
PACKS OF CIGARETTES A
DAY AND LIVED TO BE
90. THEREFORE,
CIGARETTES CAN’T BE
THAT BAD FOR YOU.
PENGUINS MAKE HASTY
GENERALIZATIONS
THE LOGICAL FALLACIES CONT.
 POST HOC (MEANS “AFTER THIS” IN LATIN)
POST HOC IS A CAUSAL FALLACY IN
WHICH A PERSON ASSUMES ONE
THING CAUSED ANOTHER SIMPLY
BECAUSE IT HAPPENED PRIOR TO THE
OTHER.
OUR TEAM FORGOT TO WASH OUR UNIFORMS BEFORE THE
GAME. WE WON THE GAME. THEREFORE, WE WON THE
GAME BECAUSE OUR UNIFORMS WERE DIRTY.
THE EMOTIVE FALLACIES
 AD POPULUM (THE BANDWAGON FALLACY)
REMEMBER
JUST BECAUSE IT’S
POPULAR DOESN’T
MAKE IT TRUE.
IF EVERYBODY ELSE
JUMPED OFF A
BRIDGE, WOULD
YOU?
BUT OFFICER,
EVERYONE ELSE
DRIVES JUST AS
FAST. I DON’T
DESERVE A TICKET.
ANGRY PEOPLE MAKE BAD
DECISIONS
 THE ARGUMENT FROM OUTRAGE
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!
THIS IS AN OUTRAGE
THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF
YOURSELVES
ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE…
IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES
A MAN ANGRY, YOU CAN CONVINCE
HIM OF ALMOST ANYTHING
BECAUSE HE WILL BE TOO ANGRY
TO EVALUATE YOUR LOGIC.
BLAME IT ON SOMEONE ELSE
SCAPEGOATING –
BLAMING SOMETHING
ON A SPECIFIC GROUP,
OR EVEN A SINGLE
PERSON. OFTEN USES
LOADED LANGUAGE
AND LABELS.
FOR EXAMPLE
RUSH LIMBAUGH
BLAMED THE BP OIL
SPILL ON “WACKO
ENVIRONMENTALISTS”
IF YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT IT, IT’S
WORKING
 AD MISERICORDIAM (THE APPEAL TO PITY)
BUT MRS.
CONAWAY, I
DIDN’T DO MY
HOMEWORK
BECAUSE MY
ROOMMATE’S
SISTER’S BEST
FRIEND’S CAT DIED
IN A TRAGIC
ACCIDENT LAST
NIGHT.
BECAUSE VAGUE THREATS ARE THE
BEST THREATS
 AD BACULUM OR SCARE TACTICS
THE AD BACULUM FALLACY TRIES TO SCARE
PEOPLE INTO PARTICULAR ACTIONS
THE RHETORICAL FALLACIES
 STRAW MAN
PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE
REAL ARGUMENT HIDING
BEHIND THE CURTAIN
AD HOMINEM
ALSO CALLED
THE GENETIC
FALLACY
WHEREIN A
DIRECT, AND
OFTEN
PERSONAL,
ATTACK IS MADE
UPON AN
INDIVIDUAL
RATHER THAN
ON THEIR IDEAS,
POLICIES, OR
POSITIONS.
FIND THE
INNUENDOS.
CORN EATERS =
STUPID AND
CLOSE MINDED
NOT JUST FOR MURDER MYSTERIES
 RED HERRING
*SOME USELESS TRIVIA*
THE TERM RED HERRING
COMES FROM THE SPORT
OF FOX HUNTING IN
WHICH A DRIED, SMOKED
HERRING (WHICH IS RED
IN COLOR) IS DRAGGED
ACROSS THE TRAIL OF
THE FOX TO THROW THE
HOUNDS OFF THE SCENT.
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR
IRRELEVENT DETAILS.
THIS IS THE FIRST SIGN OF
A RED HERRING!
IT’S A SLIPPERY SLOPE
AN APPEAL TO BOTH FEAR AND CAUSALITY. MAKES THE
SUGGESTION THAT ONE ACTION WILL LEAD TO MANY OTHER
UNDERSIRABLE OUTCOMES.