Fallacies of Relevance
No one has ever shown that walking barefoot isn't harmless, so it must be harmless.
What is ad ignorantium? (argument from ignorance)
We should abolish the death penalty. Patrick Mahomes is against it.
What is Ipse Dixit (appeal to inappropriate authority)?
If you stand up at a concert, you can see better, so if everyone stands up, everyone can see better.
What is composition?
How many times do I need to tell you not to stand around like a bunch of cows?
What is a complex (rhetorical) question?
Mom: What ketchup should I buy?
Son: Hunts! Patrick Mahomes says it's his favorite!
What is Ipse Dixit (appeal to inappropriate authority)
Avengers Endgame broke a lot of box office records. You should go see it!
What is ad populum/bandwagon?
Ali: The date for the writing of the book of Revelation is debated by many scholars.
Tom: Why should we listen to anything this guy has to say about the Bible when he is a Muslim?
What is ad hominem (circumstantial)
Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy
What is Amphiboly?
My roommate said her truck broke down. My truck is running badly, too. Trucks must be a bad choice for a vehicle.
What is hasty generalization / apriorism?
Listen, I've been to a few European countries where everyone smokes, and the majority of people were pretty healthy, so I think smoking isn't really that bad for you.
What is hasty generalization?
Person 1: "I don't feel like eating pizza tonight."
Person 2: "WHY DO YOU HATE DELICIOUS FOOD!!!"
What is Straw Man?
Interviewer: "What will you do fix rising homelessness in major cities?"
Candidate: "Thank you, great question. Rising homelessness is a serious problem, a very serious problem, but you know what else is a problem? Illegal immigration. Our cities are overrun with..."
What is a red herring?
That team came in last place, so none of the players on it are any good.
What is fallacy of division?
"Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life. If we have animal experimentation in our culture, we will become comfortable with experimentation with humans, and soon we will be plucking people off of the street and cutting them open!"
What is false cause / slippery slope?
You say I shouldn't talk about people behind their backs, but you were talking about Jamie behind her back last week!
What is tu quoque?
Friend 1: Our city needs more Chick-fil-A restaurants
Friend 2: You only say that because you think it is wrong to eat beef.
What is Bulverism?
Sister: "You didn't take out the trash!"
Brother: "Well, I don't think you're one to tell me about that because you didn't empty the dishwasher!"
What is tu quoque?
Teacher: McGoingle, I have told you before not to throw things in class.
McGoingle: I didn't throw it. I tossed it.
What is Accent?
Caldwell Hall is in bad shape. Either we tear it down or threaten student lives.
What is false dilemma/either-or?
Euthanizing people who are suffering and have no chance of recovery is the morally correct thing to do because it is eases their suffering.
What is circular reasoning / begging the question?
If you don't join our demonstration against the expansion of the park, we will evict you from your apartment; So, you should join our demonstration against the expansion of the park.
What is ad baculum / appeal to force?
Your school has you read books written by the ancient Greeks? What could such old books have in them that is of any use today in our modern society?
What is chronological snobbery? (appeal to novelty)
A self-defense class teaches participants how to fight better, but fighting is wrong. So we shouldn’t have a self-defense class on campus.
What is equivocation?
I got the flu vaccine and then I got the flu. The shot must have made me sick!
What is post hoc (ergo proper hoc) or false cause?
Starbucks wrote “Happy Holidays” on their cups instead of “Merry Christmas”? Those godless wokesters are waging a war on Christmas!
What is Straw Man?