Common Logical Fallacies

Ad hominem - Literally, this fallacy means “to the person.” This

is the equivalent of character assassination and attacks a
person’s character instead of focusing on his/her performance.

Example: I wonder why she was given that post. A girl

who used to be a member of a sexy girls group surely
does not have enough training to be a government
official!
 Common Logical Fallacies
Appeal to flattery - This argument uses
compliments and praise (often insincere) to win
the argument.
Example: I’ve always thought of myself as a true-
blooded Bicolano. The Bicolanos have always been
my favorite constituents. This coming election, vote
for me, your fellow Bicolano.
 Common Logical Fallacies

Appeal to force - Also called argumentum ad baculum,

this argument uses force to win the argument.

Example: If you don’t sign up now, you could lose

your scholarship.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Appeal to pity - This argument capitalizes on the fact
that people easily fall prey to their emotion and
sentimentality. In the following example, the
fundraisers could be unscrupulous con artists out to
fool unsuspecting victims.

Example: Donate now. Give to our Foundation

because we support the orphaned children of
Marawi.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Bandwagon - This fallacy appeals to one’s need to be
part of the group, to be “in” and stems from the
assumption that just because the majority approves of
something, it must be good for the individual, too.

Example: Majority of the Bicolanos have signified

support for our candidate, so you must vote for him,
too.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Begging the question - This fallacy uses circular
argument—arguing without sufficiently explaining why
the argument has to be accepted.

Example: Open pit mining is bad because mining is

not acceptable.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Either/or - This fallacy offers only two alternatives and
nothing else, leading to weak correlates.

Example: The antibiotics didn’t work. It is either

expired or fake.
 Common Logical Fallacies
False cause - This fallacy arises when a misleading
correlation was drawn between two events, ending in a
questionable conclusion.

Example: A large percentage of voters under 25 voted

for the president. In the event that he won in the
2016 elections, it is safe to assume that he’s popular
with the under-25 population.
 Common Logical Fallacies
False analogy - This kind of fallacy happens when the
debater uses ideas that have similarities but doesn’t
consider that the analogy has been overextended, and
no longer applies.

Example: The presidential campaign is so much like a

sales campaign.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Hasty generalization - This fallacy uses an isolated
experience as basis for a general statement.

Example: I’ve had spicy food for breakfast and lunch

this day. All the dishes in this town are spicy indeed.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Oversimplification - This argument happens when the correlation
between events is hastily concluded without sufficient reason or
explanation and so much has been attributed to the conclusion
being the result of the cause.

Example: Meat contains carcinogens. Meat eaters will

ultimately have cancer.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Red herring - This fallacy is used by debaters when they
try to distract their opponent away from the real issue
and onto something irrelevant. It is also a common ploy
committed by the government to veer the public’s
attention away from more pressing concerns by
focusing on something less pressing.
Example: (When a politician is asked about the recent
sex scandal against him) Oh that? It’s just locker room
talk. Have you seen my latest advertisement on TV?
 Common Logical Fallacies
Slippery slope - This erroneous argument happens out
of fear that once an action has been taken, a series of
actions (often negative) will happen as a result of the
previous action.

Example: If we legalize the use of marijuana or

cannabis, then we can no longer control this illicit
drug and every single soul in this land will use it;
maybe even their dogs will.
 Common Logical Fallacies
Straw Man - When the debater caricaturizes or
trivializes another person’s argument to refute it, the
debater has committed the straw man fallacy.

Example: Your argument is so old school. The

millenials will not fall for it.