Logical Fallacy:
Anecdotal and Stacked Evidence
Cameron Knight
Definition
• Anecdotal Evidence: Supporting your
argument with a personal story.
• Stacked Evidence (Card Stacking): When
your argument is one sided and doesn’t
address a counter argument. You only use
evidence that is helpful to your point.
(Like how most of us write!)
Examples
Anecdotal Evidence
Yeah, I've read the health warnings on those
cigarette packs and I know about all that health
research, but my brother smokes, and he says
he's never been sick a day in his life, so I know
smoking can't really hurt you.
Stacked Evidence
Richard Nixon was a family man, an
experienced politician, and world-known. Let's
build him the national monument he deserves!
Reflection on example
Anecdotal Evidence
- Says smoking can’t hurt because his
brother smokes and he's never been
sick from it. Used a personal story to
prove his point.
Stacked Evidence
Praises the good aspects of Richard
Nixon and ignores the bad.
Citation
• Acker, Christine. “Rhetorical Fallacies.”
Undergraduate Writing Center Handouts.
July 2006. Texas University.
http://projects.uwc.utexas.edu/handouts/?
q=node/30
• Dowden, Bradley. “Fallacies.” Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2009.
California State University, Sacramento.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/f/fallacy.htm#Anec
dotal%20Evidence