What are logical fallacies?

• Fallacies are common errors in reasoning that will undermine the logic/reasoning of your argument

• These fallacies can be either illegitimate arguments or irrelevant points

• They are often identified because they lack evidence that supports their claim

• They can be used to add humor to an argument when used intentionally

• Logical fallacies work against the clean, civil discourse that should be at the heart of argument

Fallacies of Relevance: when it's 'besides the point'

• Red Herring: when a speaker skips to a new and irrelevant topic in order to avoid the topic of discussion.

• Faulty Analogy: whenever the differences in two objects outweigh the similarities. 

• Ad Hominem: Latin for “to the man”;refers to diversionary tactics of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker. 

Fallacies of Accuracy: when it's not accurate

• Straw Man: when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an opponent’s viewpoint.

  
  

• Either/Or (False Dilemma): when the speaker presents two extreme options as the only possible choices.

Fallacies of Insufficiency: when you need more info

• Hasty Generalization: the most common fallacy occurs when evidence is insufficient; meaning there is not enough evidence to support a particular conclusion. 

• Circular Reasoning: involved repeating the claim as a way to provide evidence, resulting in no evidence at all.