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Rhetorical Fallacies
Rhetorical fallacies
17
English
11th Grade
04/20/2008

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Term

any kind of fallacious argument that criticizes an idea by pointing something out about the person who holds the idea, rather than directly addressing the actual merit of the ideal

 

Example:  "Of course that writer supports gun control; she's a Democrat!"

Definition
ad hominem
Term
tempts the reader to agree with the writer's assumptions based on the authority of a famous person or entity or on his or her own character
Definition
argument from authority
Term

whatever has not been proven false must be true (or, similarly, whatever has not been proven true must be false)

Examples: 

  • "No one can prove that the Loch Ness monster does not exist; therefore the Loch Ness monster exists." 
  • "No one can prove that the Loch Ness monster exists; therefore the Loch Ness monster does not exist
Definition
appeal to ignorance
Term

someone assumes that parts (or all) of what a person claims to be proving are proven facts

 

Example:  "The Loch Ness monster spoke to me in my dreams, so it must exist."

Definition
begging the question
Term

providing insufficient or selective evidence

 

Example:  "Ping-pong is an extremely dangerous sport; last year, my friend got hit in the eye with a ping-pong ball and almost lost his vision in that eye."

Definition
hasty generalization
Term

a statement that does not relate logically to what comes before it

 

Example:  "If you really wanted to earn a 5 on the AP English Language and Composition exam, you wouldn't spend so much time reading Isabel Allende's novels."

Definition
non sequitur
Term

a consideration of only the two extremes when there are one or more intermediate possibilities

 

Example:  "AP Calculus BC class is impossible; either you get it or you don't."

Definition
false dichotomy
Term

suggests dire consequences from relatively minor causes

 

Examples:  "If we stop requiring men to wear coats and ties in the dining room, pretty soon they'll start coming in dressed in beachwear."

Definition
slippery slope
Term

refers to the (sometimes unintentional ) setting up of a cause-and-effect relationship when none exists

 

Example:  "Violent crime among adolescents has risen in the past decade, and that is the result of increased sales of violent video games."

Definition
faulty causality
Term

an oversimplification of an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack

 

Examples:  "Students who want to eliminate the school uniform are exhibitionists who want to show off bare midriffs."

Definition
straw man argument
Term

this commonly used tactic attempts to appeal to the hearts of readers (or, of course, listeners) so that they forget to use their minds

 

Examples:  "The assignment that I gave you last night was much too long, but just think how pleased your parents and I will be when you score a 5 on the AP exam.  Think about the pride you'll feel when tears of joy stream down our faces!"

Definition
sentimental appeals
Term

attempts to shift attention away from an important issue by introducing an issue that has no logical connection to the discussion at hand

 

Example:  "My opponent talks about the poor quality of military intelligence, but this is a time for decisiveness, not for weakness.  We must stick together and present a common front as the other nations look on.  If we do not, we could jeopardize our position as a global leader."

Definition
red herring
Term

used to frighten readers or listeners into agreeing with the speaker

 

Example:  "My opponent talks about the need to explore stem cell research, but this would bring about an end to ethical uses of technology, and, before long, scientists will be creating superraces--the Nazi dream of an Aryan Nation will ensue."

Definition
scare tactics
Term
encourages the reader to agree with a position because everyone else does
Definition
bandwagon appeals
Term

does not allow for discussion because the speaker presumes that his or her beliefs are beyond question; "I am correct because I am correct."

 

Example:  We are members of the Wombat Party and, as such, know that we are right when we assert that Wombats are the best!

Definition
dogmatism
Term

telling part of the truth, while deliberately hiding the entire truth

 

Example:  There is a Pink Panther movie in which Inspector Clouseau enters a quaint European hotel and, upon spying a cute little dog, asks the owner, "Does your dog bite?"  The manager responds, "No," and Clouseau attempts to pet the dog, which growls and bites him.  "You told me that your dog does not bite!" exclaims Clouseau.  "That's not my dog," responds the owner.

Definition
equivocation
Term

an illogical misleading comparison between two things

 

Example:  Why should we invade that country?  Let me explain it to you like this.  What if you looked out the window and saw a 20-dollar bill in the street?  Wouldn't you go outside and take it?

Definition
faulty analogy
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