Logical Fallacies: How Reasoning Goes Wrong: 25 flashcards
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1. What is a logical fallacy?
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A flaw in reasoning itself, not necessarily a false conclusion.
2. What do fallacies exploit in human thinking?
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Heuristics — fast mental shortcuts that usually serve us well.
3. Formal fallacy vs informal fallacy — where does the flaw live?
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Formal: in the argument's structure. Informal: in the content or context.
4. Which type of fallacy is most common in everyday life?
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Informal fallacies.
5. Define ad hominem.
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Attacking the arguer instead of the argument.
6. What is the straw man fallacy?
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Replacing an opponent's position with a weaker, exaggerated version and defeating that.
7. What is a false dilemma?
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Presenting only two options when more exist.
8. What is circular reasoning?
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Assuming what you are trying to prove.
9. What is a slippery slope argument?
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Asserting a chain of consequences without evidence for each link.
10. What is the bandwagon fallacy?
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Appealing to popularity rather than evidence.
11. When is appeal to authority a fallacy?
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Only when the authority is irrelevant, unnamed, or outside their expertise.
12. What is appeal to tradition?
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Assuming something is right because it is old.
13. What are scare tactics?
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Using fear to bypass reasoning.
14. What is tu quoque?
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Deflecting criticism by accusing the critic of the same thing.
15. Is every weak argument a fallacy?
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No — some claims are simply unsupported without being fallacious.
16. Can a fallacy appear in an argument with a true conclusion?
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Yes — the conclusion may be true even if the reasoning is flawed.
17. What are the four steps of the ad hominem pattern?
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1) Claim made, 2) arguer attacked, 3) audience distracted, 4) claim dismissed.
18. Why do fallacies feel convincing?
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They trigger emotional or social responses rather than logical ones.
19. What question helps counter emotional manipulation?
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'What is actually being claimed?'
20. What is a practical response to a false dilemma?
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Offer a third option.
21. What is the real payoff of studying fallacies?
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Calibrating belief and resisting manipulation — not winning debates.
22. Where do fallacies commonly appear?
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Advertising, politics, social media, and science communication.
23. Why is naming the specific flaw better than shouting 'fallacy!'?
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It is more precise and keeps the discussion productive.
24. What is the antidote to a straw man?
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Restate the opponent's actual position and address it.
25. What is the fix for a slippery slope?
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Demand evidence for each link in the chain.
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