Faulty
Reasoning:
Fallacies
Fallacies
are
inappropriate
argument
techniques
that
weaken
the
validity
of
an
argument.
Here
are
some
of
the
most
common
fallacies
you
will
encounter:
Causal
Fallacy
A
causal
fallacy
occurs
when
a
false
connection
is
made
between
a
cause
and
an
effect.
If
one
event
follows
another,
it
does
not
necessarily
mean
that
the
two
are
related.
Examples
of
the
Causal
Fallacy:
As
long
as
you
wear
a
lucky
rabbit’s
foot,
you
will
never
get
into
a
car
accident.
The
Minnesota
Twins
won
their
last
game
because
we
put
our
caps
on
upside‐down.
Bandwagon
Fallacy
This
is
a
fallacy
that
everybody
has
probably
heard
before.
The
bandwagon
fallacy
makes
an
argument
by
using
an
“everybody
else
is
doing
it,
so
you
should
too”
type
of
argument.
This
type
of
argument
falsely
assumes
that
something
is
valid
or
correct
just
because
most
people
believe
it
to
be.
Examples
of
the
Bandwagon
Fallacy:
Most
people
agree
that
the
United
States
should
implement
a
system
of
socialized
healthcare
so
you
should
too.
Everybody
knows
that
the
New
England
Patriots
are
the
best
football
team
ever
so
there
is
no
point
in
arguing
about
it.
Either/Or
Fallacy
If
someone
argues
that
there
are
only
two
solutions
to
a
problem
they
are
using
the
either/or
fallacy.
This
fallacy
ignores
the
wider
range
of
possibilities
and
says
that
the
only
options
are
“this
or
that.”
Examples
of
the
Either/Or
Fallacy:
Either
television
violence
needs
to
be
reduced,
or
we
will
have
an
increase
in
school
violence.
If
you
don’t
drink
Sprite,
you
obviously
like
Sierra
Mist.
Hasty
Generalization
When
a
person
reaches
a
conclusion
from
too
little
evidence
or
nonexistent
evidence,
he/she
is
making
a
hasty
generalization.
Examples
of
Hasty
Generalizations:
Tylenol
doesn’t
work
because
it
never
made
my
last
headache
go
away.
College
doesn’t
help
people
get
jobs
because
my
sister
has
a
six‐year
degree
and
she
can’t
find
a
job.
Ad
Hominem
When
someone
attacks
their
opponent
instead
of
their
opponent’s
argument,
they
are
using
the
ad
hominem
fallacy.
Using
this
fallacy
usually
involves
attacking
someone’s
personal
characteristics
instead
of
their
argument.
Examples
of
the
Ad
Hominem:
Michelle
wasn’t
even
born
in
Winona
so
she
has
no
idea
what
is
good
for
our
community
Jack
is
didn’t
take
English
111
in
college
so
he
is
no
good
at
writing.
Red
Herring
A
red
herring
argument
occurs
when
someone
attacks
an
issue
by
using
irrelevant
facts
or
arguments
as
distractions.
When
someone
uses
this
argument
it
indicates
that
they
want
divert
the
audience
away
from
the
real
issue.
Example
of
the
Red
Herring:
James:
You
were
caught
stealing
from
Target,
weren’t
you?
Bob:
What
we
need
to
worry
about
here
is
people
driving
too
fast
in
parking
lots.
They
are
liable
to
kill
someone.
Appeal
to
Misplaced
Authority
We
see
this
fallacy
every
time
we
see
advertisements
that
have
movie
stars
or
sports
stars
advocating
for
products
such
as
perfumes
or
clothing
brands.
Even
though
we
may
have
respect
for
certain
people,
but
that
doesn’t
necessarily
make
them
experts
on
every
topic.
Examples
of
the
Appeal
to
Misplaced
Authority:
Jenifer
Lopez
says
that
American
Eagle
makes
the
best
jeans,
so
it
must
be
true.
The
mayor
says
that
a
new
park
will
be
great
for
the
town,
so
everyone
else
should
support
it.
Non
Sequitur
The
non
sequitur
fallacy
simply
involves
simply
using
an
argument
that
has
nothing
to
do
with
the
issue
at
hand.
Examples
of
the
non
sequitur:
Winona
State
University
needs
more
parking
spaces
because
our
basketball
team
rocks.
You
should
vote
Tim
for
class
president
because
he
can
beat
the
original
Mario
Bros.
game
in
less
than
ten
minutes.