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Logical Fallacies

The document describes seven common logical fallacies: 1) Argument to antiquity of tradition - assuming something is right due to tradition alone. 2) Argument directed at the person - dismissing a message due to the messenger's character. 3) Argument to ignorance - assuming something is true just because it hasn't been proven false. 4) Argument to logic - assuming something is untrue just because the proof offered is invalid. 5) Argument by repetition - attempting to prove something by repeating it. 6) Argument to numbers - assuming something is true because many people believe it. 7) Argument to authority - supporting an argument solely based on an authority's agreement, without expertise.

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David Williams
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53 views

Logical Fallacies

The document describes seven common logical fallacies: 1) Argument to antiquity of tradition - assuming something is right due to tradition alone. 2) Argument directed at the person - dismissing a message due to the messenger's character. 3) Argument to ignorance - assuming something is true just because it hasn't been proven false. 4) Argument to logic - assuming something is untrue just because the proof offered is invalid. 5) Argument by repetition - attempting to prove something by repeating it. 6) Argument to numbers - assuming something is true because many people believe it. 7) Argument to authority - supporting an argument solely based on an authority's agreement, without expertise.

Uploaded by

David Williams
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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I. When people argue or attempt to persuade, they sometimes fail to do so logically.

This is especially likely when the


person proposing the argument is passionate about the subject matter. Below you will find the description of seven
logical fallacies. There are many others, but these are particularly common. Try to provide an example of each logical
fallacy from arguments that you have heard.

The argument to antiquity of tradition (argumentum ad antiquitatem)


This is the logical fallacy of assuming that some policy, behavior, or practice is right or acceptable because of tradition alone. Is it not
possible that the tradition has always been wrong?
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The argument directed at the person (argumentum ad hominem)


This is the logical fallacy of assuming that if a person’s character or motives are in some way undesirable that their message must be
wrong. Is it not possible for an imperfect messenger to deliver a truthful message?
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The argument to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam)


This is the logical fallacy of assuming that something is true, simply because it has not been proven false. Might a proposition be false,
even if we can’t prove it false?
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The argument to logic (argumentum ad logicam)


This is the logical fallacy of assuming that something is untrue simply because the proof offered is invalid. Might there not be other
evidence? Might not a proposition be true, even if we can’t prove it true?
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The argument by repetition (argumentum ad nauseam)


This is the logical fallacy of attempting to prove some proposition by stating it over and over again. If a proposition is wrong, will
restating it with passion or conviction make it true?
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The argument or appeal to numbers (argumentum ad numerum)


This is the logical fallacy of assuming that because many people believe something to be true that it must be true. Is it not possible that
many people can all be wrong? A closely related fallacy is the argument or appeal to the public (argumentum ad populum), the fallacy
of assuming that a proposition is correct because it has public support.
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The argument or appeal to authority (argumentum ad verecundiam)


This is the logical fallacy of supporting a proposition by demonstrating that a celebrated person agrees with the proposition, even
though the celebrated person has no relevant expertise. Is it not true that a famous person might be wrong? It is important to
distinguish this argument from the legitimate reliance on an expert when discussing the expert’s specific domain of knowledge.
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II. Write a brief argument (2-3 paragraphs) about any subject you choose, relying upon one or more of the logical
fallacies above. You should be deliberately illogical, but you should attempt to seem reasonable and persuasive. Don’t
give it away! We will share these arguments during our next class discussion, and your classmates will attempt to
recognize your logical fallacies.

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