Propaganda and
Logical Fallacies
Propaganda
 Definition:

Information, esp. of a biased or misleading
nature, used to promote or publicize a
particular political cause or point of view.
 Propaganda
uses logical fallacies to
make people believe whatever they
want.
Denotation of Logical Fallacy
From www.dictionary.com:
Noun:
1. a deceptive, misleading, or false notion,
belief, etc.
2. a misleading or unsound argument.
3. Logic: any of various types of erroneous
reasoning that render arguments logically
unsound.
Connotation of Logical Fallacy
A
fallacy is a kind of error in
reasoning.
 Generally used to mislead people
intentionally.
History of fallacies…
The first known systematic study of
fallacies was due to Aristotle, who listed
thirteen types.
 After the Dark Ages, fallacies were again
studied in Medieval Europe. This is why so
many fallacies have Latin names.
 The third major period of study of the
fallacies began in the later twentieth
century due to renewed interest from the
disciplines of philosophy, logic,
communication studies, rhetoric,
psychology, and artificial intelligence.

Look at the handout you have…
 Some
familiar techniques you have
probably already seen
– Ad hominem argument
– Appeal to authority
– Appeal to ignorance
– Appeal to popularity
– Card stacking
– Hasty generalization