A.P. English Language & Composition Vocabulary List 12-7
1.
appeal to tradition - is a fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that something is
better or correct simply because it is older, it is traditional, or it "has always has been
done." Example: Sure I believe in God. People have believed in God for thousands of
years so it seems clear that God must exist. After all, why else would the belief last so
long?
2.
begging the question (dogmatism) – is a fallacious form of argument in which
someone assumes that parts (or all) of what the person claims to be proving are
proven facts. (Keep in mind that this does not refer to incomplete or illogical
statements that actually would prompt someone to ask a question.) Example #1: The
Loch Ness monster spoke to me in my dreams, so it must exist. Example #2: Examine
the following scenario – Interviewer: Your resume looks impressive, but I need
another reference. Brendan: Heidi can give me a good reference. Interviewer: Good,
but how do I know that Heidi is trustworthy? Brendan: I can vouch for her.
3.
false dichotomy (false dilemma) – a fallacy in which there is a consideration of only
the two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities. Example: AP
Calculus BC class is impossible; either you get it or you don’t.
4.
post hoc (faulty causality) - is committed when it is concluded that one event causes
another simply because the proposed cause occurred before the proposed effect.
Example: I had been doing pretty poorly this season. Then my girlfriend gave me
these neon laces for my spikes and I won my next three races. Those laces must be
good luck...if I keep on wearing them I can't help but win!
5.
hasty generalization – a fallacy in which a writer/speaker will deliberately lead a
reader/listener to a conclusion by providing insufficient, selective evidence. Example:
Ping-pong is an extremely dangerous sport; last year, my friend got hit in the eye
with a ping-pong ball and almost lost his vision in that eye.
6.
non sequitur – is Latin for “it doesn’t follow.” In English, a non sequitur is a
statement that does not relate logically to what comes before it. Example: If you
really wanted to earn a 5 on the AP English Language and Composition exam, you
wouldn’t spend so much time reading Isabel Allende’s novels.
7.
poisoning the well – a fallacy which involves trying to discredit what a person might
later claim by presenting unfavorable information (be it true or false) about the person
before he/she has a chance to speak. Example: “The evidence you’re about to hear
comes from an individual who has lied and cheated before.”
8.
red herring – attempts to shift attention away from an important issue by introducing
an issue that has no logical connection to the discussion at hand. Example: “My
opponent talks about the poor quality of military intelligence, but this is a time for
decisiveness, not for weakness. We must stick together and present a common front as
Rhetorical Fallacies
Updated 12/10
the other nations look on. If we do not, we could jeopardize our position as a global
leader.”
9.
sentimental appeals (appeal to emotion) – a commonly used tactic attempting to
appeal to the hearts of readers (or, of course, listeners) so that they forget to use their
minds. Example: “The assignment that I gave you last night was much too long, but
just think how pleased your parents and I will be when you score a 5 on the AP exam.
Think about the pride you’ll feel when tears of joy stream down our faces!”
10.
slippery slope – fallacious arguments that suggest dire consequences from relatively
minor causes. Example: If we stop requiring men to wear coats and ties in the dining
room, pretty soon they’ll start coming in dressed in beachwear.
11.
spotlight fallacy - is committed when a person uncritically assumes that all members
or cases of a certain class or type are like those that receive the most attention or
coverage in the media. Example: Joe – I want to go to California on my next
vacation. Eric – Why is that? Joe – Don’t you remember that movie we saw last
week? All of the girls on the beach were gorgeous. Eric – You’re right. They were
beautiful. Can I go with you?
12.
straw man – consists of an oversimplification of an opponent’s argument to make it
easier to attack. Example: Students who want to eliminate the school uniform are
exhibitionists who want to show off bare midriffs.
13.
equivocation – is the telling of part of the truth, while deliberately hiding the entire
truth; typically, this is similar to lying by omission. Example: There is a Pink Panther
movie in which Inspector Clouseau enters a quaint European hotel and, upon spying
a cute little dog, asks the owner, “Does your dog bite?” The manager responds,
“No,” and Clouseau attempts to pet the dog, which growls and bites him. “You told
me that your dog does not bite!” exclaims Clouseau. “That’s not my dog,” responds
the owner.
14.
genetic fallacy - A line of "reasoning" in which a perceived defect in the origin of a
claim or thing is taken to be evidence that discredits the claim or thing itself. It is also
a line of reasoning in which the origin of a claim or thing is taken to be evidence for
the claim or thing. Example: "The current Chancellor of Germany was in the Hitler
Youth at age 3. With that sort of background, his so called 'reform' plan must be a
fascist program."
15.
ad hominem - Means "against the man" or "against the person." Argument is rejected
on the basis of some irrelevant fact about the author of or the person presenting the
claim or argument. Example: You're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is
wrong. Further, you are just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say."
16.
ad hominem tu quoque - This fallacy is committed when it is concluded that a
person's claim is false because it is inconsistent with something else a person has said
Rhetorical Fallacies
Updated 12/10
or what a person says is inconsistent with her actions. Example: Jill: "I think the gun
control bill shouldn't be supported because it won't be effective and will waste
money." Bill: "Well, just last month you supported the bill. So I guess you're wrong
now."
17.
bandwagon - Is a fallacy in which a threat of rejection by one's peers (or peer
pressure) is substituted for evidence in an "argument." Example: Bill thinks that
welfare is needed in some cases. His friends in the Young Republicans taunt him
every time he makes his views known. He accepts their views in order to avoid
rejection.
18.
appeal to authority - Is committed when the person in question is not a legitimate
authority on the subject. Example: I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the hit series
"Bimbos and Studmuffins in the OR." You can take it from me that when you need a
fast acting, effective and safe pain killer there is nothing better than MorphiDope
2000.
19.
ignoring a common cause - Is committed when it is concluded that one thing causes
another simply because they are regularly associated. More formally, this fallacy is
committed when it is concluded that A is the cause of B simply because A and B are
regularly connected. Example: One day Bill wakes up with a fever. A few hours later
he finds red spots on his skin. he concludes that the fever must have caused the red
spots. His friend insists that the spots and the fever are caused by some microbe. Bill
laughs at this and insists that if he spends the day in a tub of cold water his spots will
go away.
20.
burden of proof - Is a fallacy in which the burden of proof is placed on the wrong
side. Another version occurs when a lack of evidence for side A is taken to be
evidence for side B in cases in which the burden of proof actually rests on side B.
Example: Bill: "I think that some people have psychic powers because no one has
been able to prove that people do not have psychic powers."
21.
two wrongs make a right - Is a fallacy in which a person "justifies" an action against
a person by asserting that the person would do the same thing to him/her, when the
action is not necessary to prevent B from doing X to A. Example: After leaving a
store, Jill notices that she has underpaid by $10. She decides not to return the money
to the store because if she had overpaid, they would not have returned the money.
22.
faulty analogy – is an illogical, misleading comparison between two things.
Example: Why should we invade that country? Let me explain it to you like this. What
if you looked out the window and saw a 20-dollar bill in the street? Wouldn’t you go
outside and take it?
Rhetorical Fallacies
Updated 12/10