BASIC STEPS IN CREATING YOUR
ARGUMENTS
•RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE.
•WEIGH BOTH PROS AND CONS.
•MAKE A STAND.
•THINK OF STRONG ARGUMENTS
•PROVIDE EVIDENCE AS SUPPORT.
•ORGANIZE YOUR CONTENT AND MAKE IT LOGICAL.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
AVOID LOGICAL FALLACIES. FALLACIES ARE STATEMENTS
COMMONLY USED IN ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE WHICH
MAY SEEM RIGHT BECAUSE THESE WERE UTTERED
CORRECTLY, BUT IF YOU TRY TO ANALYZE, THE IDEA IS
NONSENSICAL OR NOT CONNECTED TO THE TOPIC. BELOW
ARE THE MOST COMMON LOGICAL FALLACIES WITH THEIR
EXAMPLES.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
AD HOMINEM (“PERSONAL ATTACK”)
RATHER THAN REFUTING THE ARGUMENT, THE ATTACK IS ON
THE INDIVIDUAL WHICH CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARDS
CHARACTER, REPUTATION, CREDENTIALS, INTELLIGENCE OR
MORALS.
AD HOMINEM
EX. HE ALSO HAS A RELATIVE WHO IS A
SENATOR. HOW COULD HE GO AGAINST
POLITICAL DYNASTY?
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
STRAW MAN
ARGUING AGAINST RIDICULOUS AND WEAK POSITION
WHICH WAS JUST CREATED BY THE SPEAKER AND
THEN PROCEED TO KNOCK IT DOWN
STRAW MAN
EX. PERSON 1: I THINK POLLUTION FROM HUMANS
CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
PERSON 2: SO, YOU THINK HUMANS ARE DIRECTLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTREME WEATHER, LIKE HURRICANES,
AND HAVE CAUSED THE DROUGHTS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN
U.S.? IF THAT’S THE CASE, MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO GO TO
THE SOUTHWEST AND PERFORM A “RAIN DANCE.”
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
FALSE DILEMMA FALLACY
SOMETIMES CALLED THE “EITHER-OR”
FALLACY, PRESENTS ONLY TWO OPTIONS OR
SIDES WHEN THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS OR
SIDES.
FALSE DILEMMA FALLACY
EX. WE CAN EITHER STOP USING
CARS OR DESTROY THE EARTH.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
HASTY GENERALIZATION FALLACY
SOMETIMES CALLED THE OVER-GENERALIZATION
FALLACY. IT IS BASICALLY MAKING A CLAIM BASED
ON EVIDENCE THAT IS JUST TOO SMALL.
ESSENTIALLY, YOU CAN’T MAKE A CLAIM AND SAY
THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE IF YOU HAVE ONLY AN
EXAMPLE OR TWO AS EVIDENCE.
HASTY GENERALIZATION FALLACY
EX. SOME TEENAGERS IN OUR COMMUNITY
RECENTLY
VANDALIZED
THE
PARK
DOWNTOWN.
TEENAGERS
ARE
SO
IRRESPONSIBLE AND DESTRUCTIVE.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
APPEAL TO FEAR FALLACY
ONE THAT, AS NOTED IN ITS NAME, PLAYS
UPON PEOPLE’S FEAR. THIS FALLACY
PRESENTS A SCARY FUTURE IF A CERTAIN
DECISION IS MADE TODAY. IT IS ALSO OFTEN
EXAGGERATED.
APPEAL TO FEAR FALLACY
EX. PRES. RODRIGO DUTERTE IS A FRIEND OF
CHINA. IF HE CONTINUES TO BE OUR
PRESIDENT, HE WILL SELL PHILIPPINES TO
CHINA AND WE WILL BE ONE OF ITS
PROVINCES.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
SLIPPERY SLOPE FALLACY
OCCURS WHEN SOMEONE MAKES A CLAIM ABOUT A SERIES OF
EVENTS THAT WOULD LEAD TO ONE MAJOR EVENT, USUALLY A
BAD EVENT. IN THIS FALLACY, A PERSON MAKES A CLAIM THAT
ONE EVENT LEADS TO ANOTHER EVENT AND SO ON UNTIL WE
COME TO SOME AWFUL CONCLUSION. ALONG THE WAY, EACH
STEP OR EVENT IN THE FAULTY LOGIC BECOMES MORE AND
MORE IMPROBABLE.
SLIPPERY SLOPE FALLACY
EX. IF WE ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT
COMMUNITY QUARANTINE, EVENTUALLY WE WILL NO
LONGER HAVE FREEDOM TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT
AND THERE WILL BE MARTIAL LAW AGAIN; SO, WE
SHOULD NOT ALLOW COMMUNITY QUARANTINE TO
HAPPEN.
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
BANDWAGON FALLACY
SOMETIMES CALLED THE APPEAL TO COMMON BELIEF
OR APPEAL TO THE MASSES BECAUSE IT’S ALL ABOUT
GETTING PEOPLE TO DO OR THINK SOMETHING
BECAUSE “EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT” OR
“EVERYTHING ELSE THINKS THIS.”
BANDWAGON FALLACY
EX. ALMOST EVERYONE IS DOING
TIKTOK VIDEOS NOW. WHY AREN’T
YOU?
WHAT TO AVOID IN MAKING
LOGICAL ARGUMENTS?
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION FALLACY
OCCURS WHEN SOMEONE CONNECTS AN OPPONENT TO
A DEMONIZED GROUP OF PEOPLE OR TO A BAD PERSON
IN ORDER TO DISCREDIT HIS OR HER ARGUMENT. THE
IDEA IS THAT THE PERSON IS “GUILTY” BY SIMPLY BEING
SIMILAR TO THIS “BAD” GROUP AND, THEREFORE,
SHOULD NOT BE LISTENED TO ABOUT ANYTHING.
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION FALLACY
EX. YOUR FRIENDS ARE WOMANIZERS
AND SO YOU ARE TOO.