Generalizations and Comparisons
"All philosophy classes are hard because my roommate said hers was, and mine is too."
What is Hasty Generalization?
"We should abolish tacos because actor Guy Handsome said so."
What is Appeal to Authority?
"Setting up a weaker version of the opponent’s position to knock it down."
What is Straw Man?
"Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself."
What is Ad Hominem?
"Molly is a good communicator because she speaks effectively."
What is Circular Logic?
"That parking attendant who gave me a ticket is as bad as Hitler."
What is Moral Equivalence?
"Convincing the audience to do or believe something because everyone else does."
What is Ad Populum?
"Grading on a curve is fair because it makes classes go smoothly."
What is Red Herring?
"Claiming a chain reaction will lead to dire consequences without sufficient evidence."
What is Slippery Slope?
"Reducing an argument to only two sides or choices."
What is Either/Or?
"Basing a conclusion on the origins of a person, idea, or theory."
What is Genetic Fallacy?
"You should give me an A because my cat has been sick and my car broke down."
What is Appeal to Pity?
"Going off on a tangent to distract from the real issue."
What is Red Herring?
"You've been kicking puppies, so your argument against animal cruelty is invalid."
What is Ad Hominem?
"Sliding between different meanings of a single word or phrase."
What is Equivocation?
"Making assumptions about a whole group based on an inadequate sample."
What is Hasty Generalization?
"70% of Americans think voting should be mandatory."
What is Ad Populum?
"Assuming that because B comes after A, A caused B."
What is Post Hoc?
"Comparing two things that aren’t alike in relevant respects."
What is Weak Analogy?
DAILY DOUBLE:
What two styles of debate are we going to do in this class? (You must get them both to get double the points.)
"The Volkswagen Beetle is evil because it was designed by Russia's army."
What is Genetic Fallacy?
"Trying to get people to accept a conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone."
What is Appeal to Pity?
"Feminists want to ban all heels, but that’s too extreme, so they’re wrong."
What is Straw Man?
"Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life, leading to the end of civilization."
What is Slippery Slope?
"Giving money to charity is the right thing to do, so charities have a right to our money."
What is Equivocation?