Speaking informally

1
Speaking informally

• A Review of the informal fallacies

2
Appeal to Authority

• Philosophy is a most important discipline to
  study, Mr. Jenny says so.

3
Card-Stacking Forgetful Induction

• In the past, scientists (who were in the employ
  of the tobacco companies) who attempted to study
  links between the smoking of tobacco products and
  cancer, could find no causal connection between
  smoking and cancer.

4
BandwagonAppeal to Popularity

• I want to buy a Honda Civic. Its the best
  selling car in Canada. All those people must
  know something about the quality of those cars.

5
Glittering Generalities

• Pure, fresh, mountain spring water. Bottled
  especially for you in Utah from only our purest
  mountain springs.

6
Personal AttackAd Hominem

• Francis Bacon's philosophy should be dismissed
  since Bacon was removed from his chancellorship
  for dishonesty.

7
Straw Man

• Bill Clinton "We want to build a bridge to the
  future. Bob Dole talks about building a bridge to
  the past."

8
Post HocFalse Cause

• People who contracted malaria often went out at
  night before they contracted the disease.
  Therefore, night air causes malaria. (People
  actually thought this.)

9
Begging the Questionor Circular Argument

• I believe in alien spaceships. How else would
  the aliens get here. Thats why there must be
  alien spaceships.

10
Begging the Questionor Circular Argument

• Free trade will be good for this country. The
  reason is patently clear. Isn't it obvious that
  unrestricted commercial relations will bestow on
  all sections of this nation the benefits which
  result when there is an unimpeded flow of goods
  between countries?

11
False DichotomyFalse Dilemma

• Either we reduce our public spending or our
  economy will collapse.

12
Guilt by Association

• All communists are civil rights supporters. 
• Martin Luther King, Jr. is a civil rights
  supporter. 
• Therefore, Martin Luther King, Jr. is a communist.

13
Argument from Ignorance

• Dan Rather was accused of using forged documents
  to discredit President George W. Bush.
• Rather couldn't prove the documents weren't
  forgeries, but that doesn't prove that they were.

14
Appeal to Emotion - Pity
15
Appeal to Emotion Fear / Threat

• Communism is wrong. If you disagree, Ill
  prosecute you as a traitor.

16
Equivocation

• Reporter whos playing first?
• Manager Yes.
• Reporter I mean the fellows name on
• first base.
• Manager Who.

17
Amphiboly

• Sign in a restaurant(honestly! Wimpeys in
  Burlington)
• Women in low-cut blouses will be looked down
  upon in this establishment.

18
Misplaced Accent

• Sign on a new development in Milton
• Up to36,000
• Cash Back!

19
Composition

• Human cells are invisible to the naked eye.
• Humans are made up of human cells.
• Therefore, Humans are invisible to the naked eye.

20
Division

• A colony of ants can destroy a tree.
• Therefore, this ant can destroy this tree.