It seems everything on the internet today is an argument, so I thought I'd drop this little video here for you so you can be on the lookout for logical fallacies used by others or even catch yourself using them when you do.
A little background from Purdue University:
Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic of your argument. Fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points, and are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim. Avoid these common fallacies in your own arguments and watch for them in the arguments of others.
And here's that video I promised you (I'll list a few of the fallacies below as well):
Slippery Slope:
This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C, ..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur, A must not be allowed to occur either.
Hasty Generalization:
This is a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, you are rushing to a conclusion before you have all the relevant facts.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc:
This is a conclusion that assumes that if 'A' occurred after 'B' then 'B' must have caused 'A.'
Genetic Fallacy:
This conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth.
Begging the Claim:
The conclusion that the writer should prove is validated within the claim. Example:
Filthy and polluting coal should be banned.
Circular Argument:
This restates the argument rather than actually proving it.
Ad hominem:
This is an attack on the character of a person rather than his or her opinions or arguments.
Ad populum/Bandwagon Appeal:
This is an appeal that presents what most people, or a group of people think, in order to persuade one to think the same way. Getting on the bandwagon is one such instance of an ad populum appeal.
Red Herring:
This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.
Straw Man:
This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument.
[Example:] People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor.
Moral Equivalence:
This fallacy compares minor misdeeds with major atrocities, suggesting that both are equally immoral.
Alright people, keep your eyes peeled out there!
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