a fallacy that attacks the person's character rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute
Ad Hominem
A fallacy of distraction that equates positive characteristics of a spokesman with their conclusion
Transfer
a fallacy that inappropriately attempts to persuade by means of threats
Ad Baculum
a fallacy that sneakily changes a definition or sense of a key word during a discussion
Equivocation
Lawyer: So, tell us all kid! When exactly did you stop stealing money from your grandmother’s purse!?
Loaded Question
a fallacy that appeals to an irrelevant authority as justification for a conclusion
Ipse Dixit
A fallacy that attempts to persuade soley on the basis of a limited time frame
Exigency
a fallacy that misrepresents or hyperbolizes an opponent’s position to make it much easier to defeat
Straw Man
a fallacy that addresses a tangentially related (and perhaps valid) point that is not the point under discussion.
Irrelevant Thesis
The ocean is blue from space. Water must be a blue liquid.
Division
a fallacy that assumes an opponent’s position is wrong by focusing the argument on how the opponent personally came to believe that position
Bulverism
a fallacy that attempts to discredit an opponent's conclusion by irrelevantly appealing to supposed hypocrisy between their argument and actions
Tu Quoque
a fallacy that uses a synonym or restatement to exempt itself from an opponent’s accusation
Distinction without a difference
a fallacy of ambiguity in which an entire sentence or passage can be taken in two or more ways
Amphiboly
You say that behavior is a sin. I say it isn't. Can we just meet in the middle and say a little bit of it is ok?
False Compromise
a fallacy that rejects or accepts an argument solely because of the moral character of another, previous arguer
Genetic Fallacy
A fallacy of form that assumes one thing caused another, only because it happened first.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
a fallacy that sneakily changes the sense of a sentence by means of where the emphasis is placed
Accent
This fallacy illegitimately limits choices
Bifurcation
Boys are dumb because they are so stupid and unintelligent.
Petitio Principii
A fallacy that attempts to distract from the truth or validity of an argument by appealing to pity
Ad Misercordiam
A fallacy of form that assumes causation based on correlation alone.
Post Hoc In Statistics
a fallacy that leaves out or disguises the facts that do not fit with the conclusion you want to prove
Selective Arrangement
A fallacy that accepts or rejects a conclusion soley based on its age.
Chronological Snobbery
Teacher: Class, you must be quiet, if I hear anyone’s voice out of turn, you will get a consequence.
Student: *Yawns Loudly*. . . What? I just yawned!
Equivocation
If P then Q. Not P. Therefore not Q.
Denying the Antecedent (DenAnt)
Uses a synonym or restatement to exempt itself from an opponent's charge.
Distinction without a Difference.
If P then Q. Q. Therefore P.
Affirming the Consequent
a fallacy that eliminates an exception to a generalization by dismissing the exception unfairly.
No True Scotsman
When I see my grandpa for his birthday every year, he gets slower and slower… We have got to stop throwing him birthday parties or he’s going to end up like a snail!
Post Hoc in Stats