RHETORICAL FALLACIES
1
and
The DEVICES
OF PROPAGANDA
PROPAGANDA
Designed to deliver a persuasive message to a
large target audience by employing faulty logic
and emotional appeals.
 It is designed to give another control over your
thoughts and decisions.
 It can provoke visceral emotional responses and
hasty generalizations.
 Advertising, political cartoons, sit-coms,
newspaper, basically everywhere.

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AD HOMINEM/NAME CALLING

Comes from the Latin term ‘against the man’
This method attacks the person instead of the
argument. The goal is to discredit the argument
by discrediting the person advocating the
argument
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD50OTR3arY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oR5jeX4gzQ
Dogs attacks on cats
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AD HOMINEM/NAME CALLING
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EXAMPLES OF AD HOMINEM

Ex. John Adams was called “a fool, a gross hypocrite
and an unprincipled oppressor” during his campaign.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_zTN4BXvYI
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EXAMPLES OF NAME CALLING
“Harry doesn't know anything about cooking.
Heck, he's an idiot truck driver!”
Referring to Harry’s occupation induces negative
connotations.
Name-calling often does not attack a person’s
character directly, but rather, it suggests a
character attack.
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NAME CALLING
An attempt to discredit an opponent by
labeling or describing him with words that
have unfavorable connotations.
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APPEAL TO FALSE AUTHORITY
An argument from authority happens
suggests a speaker should be trusted in one
area because he/she is an expert in
another.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOAPMjsHLDM
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ARGUMENT FROM IGNORANCE
Based on the assumption that a statement must
be true if it cannot be proven false or vice-versa.
There is no proof that I am wrong; therefore, I
am right.
 Examples:
There is intelligent life in outer space, because no
one has proven there isn't.
 An atheist could argue his/her point that God
does not exist because there is no viable proof.
 A theist could also argue his/her point that God
does exist because there is no proof that he
doesn’t.

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APPEAL TO IGNORANCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ra8_gyY9R8
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BEGGING THE QUESTION/CIRCULAR LOGIC
Begging the Question is the fallacy where the
claim in included in the conclusion, so the
claim is never actually proven.
"If such actions were not illegal, then they would
not be prohibited by the law."
 "The belief in God is universal. After all,
everyone believes in God."

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BEGGING THE QUESTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CVbku6nxhU
Elaine resists the changing of her phone number
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HASTY GENERALIZATION

Definition : A fallacy in which a conclusion is not
logically justified by sufficient or unbiased evidence. A
hasty generalization is one in which there is an
insufficient number of instances to base the
generalization.
“My father smoked four packs of cigarettes a day since
age fourteen and lived until age sixty-nine. Therefore,
smoking really can’t be that bad for you.”
It is extremely unreasonable to draw a universal conclusion
about the health risks of smoking by the case study of one
man.

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HASTY GENERALIZATION

•
•
Examples: Smith, who is from England, decides to attend graduate school
at Ohio State University. He has never been to the US before. The day
after he arrives, he is walking back from an orientation session and sees
two white squirrels chasing each other around a tree. In his next letter
home, he tells his family that American squirrels are white.
Kanye West’s examples of Hasty Generalizations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zIUzLpO1k
xI
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NON SEQUITUR

Definition: an inference/conclusion that does
not follow logically from the premises, or one
statement that does not follow logically from
another.
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FALSE DICHOTOMY/FALSE DILEMMA/FALSE
CHOICE
A false dilemma also called a false dichotomy, is
a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation
in which only two alternatives are considered
when in fact there are additional options.
 In other words, people jump to one extreme to the
next. If you do no not think one way than you
must think or do the complete opposite.
 Either/Or thinking

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FALSE DICHOTOMY/FALSE DILEMMA



“It was not medicine that cured Ms. X so it must
have been a miracle.”
“If you are not with us, you are against us.”
Black and white thinking labels people as all
good or all bad.
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FALSE DICHOTOMY/DILEMMA
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FALSE DICHOTOMY
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SLIPPERY SLOPE
Definition: a dangerous and irreversible course. A
chain reaction with dire consequences.
 Explanation: The Slippery Slope is a fallacy in which a
person asserts that some event must follow
catastrophically from another. In most cases, there are
a series of steps or gradations between one event and
another but slippery slope does not acknowledge the
intervening steps. In this fallacy, A leads immediately
to Z.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtmAw9Ia7LA

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SLIPPERY SLOPE
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SLIPPERY SLOPE
★ Example:
Me: “ I don't want to study.”
Mom: “If you don't study you will not graduate
and you will end up flipping burgers for a
living.”
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SLIPPERY SLOPE
STRAWMAN
STRAWMAN
Definition- A fallacy in which an opponent's
argument is misrepresented/distorted. The
attacker then disputes that simplified
misrepresentation.
 This can be done by quoting a person’s words out
of context, or oversimplifying an opponent's
argument, then attacking this oversimplified
version.
 This sort of reasoning is fallacious, because
attacking a distorted version of a position fails to
constitute an attack on the actual position.

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STRAWMAN

Example-“People who are in favor of abortion
think it's okay to commit cold blooded murder.”
“People who think abortion should be
banned have no respect for the rights of women.
They treat them as nothing but baby-making
machines. That's wrong. Women must have the
right to choose.”
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STRAWMAN
SENTIMENTAL APPEALS/APPEALS TO EMOTION
The use of emotion to distract the audience from
the facts. ASPCA commercials
 Example- The thousands of baby seals killed in
the Exxon-Valdez oil spill have shown us that oil
is not a reliable source of energy.
 The facts in that statement don’t go together. The
killing of baby seals in an oil spill don’t
corroborate the argument that oil is not a reliable
energy source.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWeKtqWc2E
A
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RED HERRING

•
An observation that draws attention away from
the central issue.
Mystery Novels often use this technique to build
suspense, but politicians use it to avoid
answering difficult or controversial questions.
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EXAMPLE OF RED HERRING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6VmYOFGpb
M
 Undecided voter asks a questions about limiting
assault weapons during the Obama-Romney
debate.

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SCARE TACTICS/APPEAL TO FEAR

Scare Tactics are used to induce fear in people
in order to persuade them to perform a certain
action or purchase something.
Example: If you don’t support the party’s tax
plan, your family will be reduced to poverty.
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SCARE TACTICS
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This is scary, but there may be some truth to it. STOP
SMOKING!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgqyoh
FzOVg#action=share
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DOGMATISM/ASSERTION

What is it?
An arrogant assertion of opinion, without sufficient
facts to support.
 A point or view being shoved down your throat as if is
the only choice
 “Women are bad drivers.”
 “Men never ask for directions.”

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DOGMATISM
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EQUIVOCATION
Also
referred to as
doublespeak, equivocation is
the ambiguity of the use of a
word in a sentence, i.e.
where the key word in an
argument has multiple
meanings and can easily
be misinterpreted.
EQUIVOCATION EXAMPLES
In this ad “Under 21”
refers to the price of
the car being $21,000.
Dodge uses this
number to their
advantage by to
relating it to the legal
drinking age.
 The sign said “Fine for
parking here”, and
since it was fine, I
parked here.

TRANSFER
Transfer of positive or negative feelings and
associations of one symbol, idea, or person to
another.
 Closely associated to testimony.
 An car company creates an advertisement of its
car driving through pristine country to
accentuate its ecofriendliness.
 A political candidate wears a religious symbol on
his lapel.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8uXrwhWVO
M: 2014 New Ford Mustang Commercial

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TRANSFER
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TESTIMONIAL
A fallacy in which support for a standpoint or product is
provided by a famous figure, who is not an expert and
who was probably well paid for the endorsement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CuABcnWXqo:
Shatner on World of Warcraft
DON’T YOU WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0AGiq9j_Ak
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TESTIMONIAL
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PLAIN FOLKS







The speaker tries to convince the audience that he/she is an
average person who empathizes with their situations.
They appealing to the common person’s values for example,
family values, democracy, patriotism, Christianity.
I am just a poor country boy, so you can trust me.
I am just a humble citizen of this state who wants to make
a difference.
Ronald Reagan was often photographed chopping wood.
Jimmy Carter was sworn into office using the name
“Jimmy”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOuizLehD2k
Romney Plain Folks
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CARD STACKING
Definition: presenting information that is
positive to an idea or proposal and omitting
information contrary to it.
 Exaggerates the benefits of the product/service
while understating its disadvantages.
 Exaggerates the disadvantages of a rival
product/service while understating its benefits.
 Commercials for medications

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CARD STACKING
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CARD STACKING EXAMPLES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIlib
XBHe7U

Romney Campaign commercial
CARD STACKING EXAMPLES:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWTcV
HdSFo
 Mac v. Windows PC - Virus
BANDWAGON/AD POPULUM/POPULAR APPEAL
Appeals to common interest by persuading
someone to do something or believe something
because the mass of people does.
 Comes from the phrase ‘jumping the bandwagon’
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhMaUiufjcU
 Big Daddy Band Wagon Above

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BANDWAGON APPEALS
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POST HOC/FALSE CAUSALITY
Post Hoc, Ergo Hoc is a fallacy that states since B
event followed A event, B must have been caused
by A . The gullible person believes that since one
event came before another, it caused the second
to happen.
 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 will win.

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POST HOC/FALSE CAUSALITY
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Correlation does not
imply causation.
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TU QUOQUE – “YOU TOO OR YOU
ALSO”/APPEAL TO HYPOCRISY

a logical fallacy that attempts to discredit the
opponent's position by asserting his failure to act
consistently in accordance with that position; to attack
a person’s argument by saying he/she does what he/she
objects to.
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EXAMPLES OF TU QUOQUE
Person 1: It should be illegal to make clothing out
of animals.
 Person 2: But, you are wearing a leather jacket.

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Friend A: You cheated
on the history test
yesterday. Don’t you
realize that’s wrong?
 Friend B: You cheated
on the history test last
week. Did you forget
about that?

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TU QUOQUE EXAMPLES
GLITTERING GENERALITIES
 Glittering
Generalities involves the use of
words with a positive connotation that rely
on pathos rather than logic, to make an idea
sound appealing



The use of “emotionally appealing words so closely
associated with highly valued concepts and beliefs
that they carry conviction without supporting
information or reason.”
buzz words like “liberty”, “prosperity”, “equality”,
“social justice”, “change” and “hope” are appealing but
vague.
Listen for them during electioneering.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__nHCNT
8y8
 McDonalds – Pride, Togetherness
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GLITTERING GENERALITIESEXAMPLE
“Change
we can believe in.”
– Barack Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw_XNRdntBs
GLITTERING GENERALITIES
EXAMPLE
FAULTY ANALOGY

Faulty analogy is a propaganda
technique where two things that are
not alike are falsely portrayed as being
similar to persuade the audience to
think a certain way. The faulty analogy
is based on misleading, superficial, or
implausible comparisons
“People who have to have a cup of coffee
every morning before they can function have
the same problem as alcoholics who have to
have their alcohol each day to sustain them”.
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FAULTY ANALOGY EXAMPLE

In this advertisement,
a baby sleeping next
to a knife is being
compared to a baby
sleeping in bed with
their parents.
FAULTY ANALOGY EXAMPLE

When Bill Clinton ran
for President in 1992
a faulty analogy was
used by the opposing
party in their
campaign against
him.
"Bill Clinton has no
experience of serving
in the military. To
have Bill Clinton
become president, and
thus commander in
chief of the armed
forces of the United
States, is like electing
some passer-by on the
street to fly the space
shuttle.”
10 ASPECTS OF A GOOD COMMERCIAL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGuSqB-lOTg
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://uwc.utexas.edu/node/85
 http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
 (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/slippery+
slope?s=t)
 (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slipperyslope.html)
 (http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/slipperyslope.html)

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