8/13/2019 Eng102 Fallacy Handouts

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Fallacy Eng 102

Fallacies & Non-persuasionDirections: In each argument, identify the fallacies and explain how they render theargument non-persuasive.

1. Either we legalize marijuana or we watch a steady increase in the number of our citizens who

break the law.

2. Smoking must cause lung cancer because a much higher percentage of smokers get lungcancer than do nonsmokers.

3. Smoking does not cause cancer because my grandfather smoked two packs per day for fiftyyears and died in his sleep at age ninety.

4. Society has an obligation to provide housing for the homeless because people withoutadequate shelter have a right to the resources of the community.

5. Based on my observations of the two renters in our neighborhood, I have concluded that people who own their own homes take better care of them than those who rent. [This arguer provided detailed evidence about the house-caring practices of the two renters and of thehomeowners in the neighborhood.]

6. Intelligent design must qualify as a scientific theory because hundreds of scientists endorse it.

7. If we pass legislation requiring mandatory registration of handguns, well open the door toeventual confiscation of hunting rifles.

8. Those who support gun control are wrong because they believe that no one should have theright to defend himself or herself in any situation.

9. Most other progressive nations have adopted a program of government-provided healthinsurance. Therefore it is time for the United States to abandon its present employer-fundedinsurance system and adopt federally funded universal health insurance.

10. You should discount Dr. Smiths objections to federally funded health care because as adoctor he may face a loss of some income.

8/13/2019 Eng102 Fallacy Handouts

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Fallacy Eng 102

Slippery Slope - Based on the fear that once we put a foot on a slick mountainside, we aredoomed to slide right out of sight

Red Herring - Throwing an audience off-track by raising an unrelated or irrelevant point

Non Sequitur - Any claim that doesnt follow from its premises or is supported by irre levant premises

Post hoc - Occurs when a sequential relationship is mistaken for a causal relationship

Bandwagon - Popularity of something is irrelevant to its actuality

Ad Hominem - Argument directed at the character of an opponent rather than at the quality of theopponents reasoning

False Authority - Use famous people to testify on issues about which these persons have nospecial competence

Hasty Generalization - Someone makes a broad generalization on the basis of too little evidence

Appeal to the People - Appeal to the fundamental beliefs, biases, and prejudices of theaudience Sway opinion through a feeling of solidarity among those of the group

Appeal to Ignorance - Persuades audience to accept as true a claim that hasnt been proved falseor vice versa

Appeal to Pity - Arguer appeals to audiences sympathetic feelings in order to support a claimthat should be decided on more relevant or objective grounds

Poisoning the Well - Arguers discredit an opponent or an opposing view in advance (through bias)

Straw Man - Occurs by oversimplifying an opponents argument to make it easier to refute orridicule Rather than summarize opposing view fairly and completely, the arguer makes up theargument they wish the opponent had made because its easier to knock over

Part for the Whole - Arguers pick out a part of the whole and then claim that what is true of the part is true for the whole Arguer picks only the best examples to make a case and convenientlyforgets about examples that weaken the case

Circular Reasoning - Provide a reason that simply restates the claim in different words

False Dilemma - arguer oversimplifies a complex issue so that only two choices appear possible One of the choices is made to seem unacceptable

False Analogy - Has to be some similarities between objects being compared Has to appeal toaudiences logic