DEFINITIONS
If it's true in one situation then it must be true in all situations.
Hasty Generalizations.
ie: I used to work in an organization many years ago, one of my co – workers had one bad experience with an external consultant. Fast forward, anytime a coworker brought up the organization reaching out or working with the assistance of a consultant she expressed immediate distrust of all consultants. She hastily generalized consultants as untrustworthy.
It's no wonder that violent crimes increased considering all the violence that has been in movies and video games lately.
False Cause
Selah, just as the air force needs new planes to fight effectively, so I need a new computer in my battle for better grades.
False Analogy
Sarah, if you don’t start taking those calcium vitamins soon, you are going to get osteoporosis. You will be hunched up and barely able to walk by the time you are 60. Your grandchildren will not want to visit you and you will be all alone in a home you thought would be filled with company and laughter.
Appeal to Fear
What four questions should you ask when analyzing an argument?
1. what is the issue at hand?
2. Is the argument relevant to the issue at hand?
3. Is the argument assuming something that it shouldn't?
4. Is this argument clear?
A _________ is when someone makes a broad claim about an entire group or situation based on limited evidence or a few examples. It “sweeps” too widely, assuming that what’s true in some cases is true in all cases.
Sweeping Generalization
Think of it like jumping from “some” to “all” without enough proof.
Example 1:
“Online classes don’t work because I didn’t learn anything in my last virtual course.”
→ This takes one personal experience and applies it to all online classes, which isn’t necessarily true.
Example 2:
“Teenagers today are irresponsible because I see a lot of them on their phones instead of paying attention.”
→ This assumes all teenagers are irresponsible based on a limited observation.
In both cases, the problem is overgeneralizing—drawing a conclusion that’s too big for the evidence given.
People who eat dark chocolate are 51.3% less likely to struggle with depression and 42% more likely to do well on test.
Fake Precision
Every time I go on vacation it rains. We should go somewhere where there is a drought, since surely it will rain when we arrive for our vacation there.
False Cause
You shouldn’t let your kids watch those violent movies because it just isn’t right to let them be exposed to such images of violence.
Begging the question and Circular Reasoning.
But notice—this “reason” is just a restatement of the claim in different words. It doesn’t give an independent reason whyit’s wrong; it just repeats the idea that it’s wrong.
Why it’s circular:
Simple way to see it:
It’s basically saying:
“It’s wrong because it’s wrong.”
Why is it important to identify fallacies?
1. They can quietly distort how you think and what you believe.
2. It helps you avoid being misled.
3. It helps you come to accurate conclusions
4. Helps us communicate more effectively
A _______ is when someone compares two things that seem similar on the surface but are actually different in important ways—and then uses that comparison to make an argument.
In other words, it’s a weak or misleading comparison that doesn’t really hold up.
False Analogy
“Banning junk food in schools is like banning books—it limits freedom.”
→ This comparison suggests both actions are equally restrictive, but food regulations and access to information aren’t the same kind of issue.
The key problem is that the comparison ignores important differences, so the conclusion doesn’t logically follow.
Did you hear that Alayah found a dead grasshopper in her hamburger she got from Moo-Fil-A's? They should discontinue those hamburgers and stop selling them immediately.
Hasty Generalization
You can't take Gloria's arguments about needing only small farms seriously. She has been reading the book by Wendell Berry on small farms and why we need to advocate for them for the last several years.
Genetic Fallacy
A genetic fallacy is when someone judges a claim as true or false based only on where it came from, instead of looking at the actual evidence or reasoning behind it.
In simple terms:
It’s saying something is good or bad because of its source, not because of what it actually says.
Example 1:
“That idea about nutrition came from social media, so it must be wrong.”
→ The source might be questionable, but the claim itself still needs to be evaluated on its own evidence.
John Swift should be elected MVP of the NFL. After all, he is part of the best team in the league!
Fallacy of Division. (whole to part)
Just because a team is the best as a whole, it does not mean:
So the mistake is:
It takes a group-level claim (“best team”) and wrongly applies it to an individual-level claim (“best player”).
That gap in logic is what makes it a fallacy of division.
Any argument that presents a conclusion that does not follow from its premises. "It does not follow".
“It’s raining outside, so my favorite team will win the game tonight.”
→ The weather has no logical connection to the game outcome.
“I ate a healthy breakfast, so my car will start faster this morning.”
→ Eating breakfast has no connection to car performance.
Non Sequitur
A ______ is when someone assumes that one thing caused another just because they’re connected in time or seem related—without enough proof.
It often follows the pattern: “This happened, then that happened, so the first thing must have caused the second.”
False Cause
Example 1:
“I started drinking green tea every morning, and my headaches went away. The green tea cured my headaches.”
→ The headaches might have improved for another reason (sleep, stress, hydration), but the speaker assumes a direct cause without evidence.
Example 2:
“Crime rates increased after the new mayor took office, so the mayor’s policies caused the increase.”
→ The timing lines up, but there could be many other factors involved. The conclusion jumps to causation without proving it.
I need to buy a birthday present for my teenage niece, Miriam. Teenagers all like rock music so I should buy her a Rolling Stone CD. I know she will like it.
Sweeping Generalization
Fine dining, great works of art and theatre, and exquisite fashion is found in Paris, France but if you visited Paris, you would probably go to McNuggets wearing overalls since you are an ignorant American who was raised on cheap food and disgusting entertainment.
Ad Hominem Abusive or Ad Hominem Circumstantial
An ad hominem circumstantial attack is when someone dismisses or judges a person’s position based on their background, upbringing, or situation, instead of addressing the actual argument.
How it shows up in this statement:
It says you’d choose McNuggets and dress poorly because you’re “an ignorant American who was raised on cheap food and disgusting entertainment.”
→ That’s blaming your upbringing and circumstances for your supposed behavior, rather than engaging with any real argument about culture or preferences.
So in total, the statement includes:
I am trying to read one book per month. My mom wants me to read the Hobbit and my dad wants me to read the Christmas Carol. I will just read half of each book this month.
Fallacy of Moderation
This is a fallacy of moderation because it assumes the “middle” option between two choices is automatically the correct or best solution—even when that doesn’t make sense.
What the argument is doing:
Why this is a fallacy:
A fallacy of moderation happens when someone assumes that splitting the difference between two positions is always reasonable or optimal.
______is the system of rules for correct thinking and valid reasoning.
LOGIC
A _____ is when someone presents a number or measurement as extremely exact—even though the situation doesn’t justify that level of accuracy.
It creates the illusion of certainty, making something seem more scientific or reliable than it really is.
Fake/False Precision
Mrs. Elodie, our science teacher, told us about rare birds that come to his bird feeder. Elodie said she feeds them sunflowers seeds, so I am going to start pitting out sunflower seeds too.
False Cause
Try our Face Cleanser, called Acne-Be-Gone and you will find yourself attending an Ivy League College with the rich and famous.
Snob Appeal
Irrelevant Goals and Functions
Justification:
Snob appeal
It suggests that using the cleanser will connect you with an elite group—people at an Ivy League school, “the rich and famous.” The message is basically: use this product and you’ll be part of a higher-status crowd. That’s appealing to status and exclusivity rather than proving the product actually works.
Irrelevant goals/functions
A face cleanser’s real purpose is to clean skin and maybe help with acne. But this claim jumps to something completely unrelated—getting into an Ivy League college and being around wealthy, famous people. Those outcomes have nothing to do with what a cleanser can actually do.
Why it’s faulty:
It distracts you with status and unrealistic outcomes instead of giving real evidence about the product’s effectiveness.
They just don’t make appliances like they used to. My stove and washer and dryer died after 5 years. I sure wish we could go back to the 1950s when people were dedicated to excellence and craftsmanship.
Chronological Snobbery
Chronological snobbery is the assumption that something from a certain time period is automatically better (or worse) simply because of when it existed, not because of real evidence.
How it applies here:
The statement assumes:
Why that’s a fallacy:
It’s not actually comparing data or evidence about appliance quality across time. Instead, it:
How do we measure truth?
GOD'S WORD!!!!!
1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
Proverbs 14:15
“The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”
Acts 17:11
“They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord…”
Colossians 2:8
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit…”
2 Corinthians 10:5
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”