Logical Fallacies - And how to win/lose an argument

So what are logical fallacies anyways?

Logical fallacies are just forms of flawed reasoning. They can be obvious or subtle. They're often disguised as reasonable claims, which means that detecting them takes practice. So lets get into some examples of logical fallacies.

The Ad Hominem

The Ad Hominem is probably the most common Fallacy. The Latin term ad hominem means "against the man." It refers to an attack on the person rather than on the argument or the issue. The assumption here is that if the speaker proves unacceptable in some way, his or her statements must also be judged unacceptable. It's a form of character assassination. It happens when sticks to the issue at hand takes too much energy or integrity.

Obvious Examples

• Name calling
• Racial slurs
• Politically motivated insults
• Gender defamation
• Religious attacks
• Any other form of character assassination one can imagine.

Subtle Examples

• Someone might complain, "what can the priest tell us about marriage? He's never been married himself."
  a) This accusation ignores the validity of the advice the priest might offer.
  b) Since 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce, people who do get married shouldn't be judging priests

The Hasty Generalization

An inductive fallacy, which means drawing a conclusion based on too little data.

Examples

• Stereotyping
• "I once met a Harvard professor who was very cold and arrogant. Therefore, all Harvard professors are very cold and arrogant."
• Superstition
• "If you stare into a mirror for too long, the mirror will capture your soul."
• "Everything happens for a reason."

The False Dicotomy

Incorrectly thinking that a choice can made based on only one of two options when, in fact, alternative possibilites exist.

Example

• The Hawks and Doves during the Vietnam War
• The Hawks said, "America, love it or leave it." The subtext here is that if you don't support the Vietnam War, then you don't love America, and therefore you should leave. Its hard to imagine a more unamerican statement given that the 1st Amentment defends the freedom of speech.
• The Doves said, "Soldiers are war-mongering baby-killers." This was not true. In fact 40% of the soldiers were drafted in the first place. The rest probably thought it was their duty to fight for their country.

Begging the Question

There is no point in arguing a fact. In begging the question, the arguer attempts to present their opinion as proven fact.

Example

• "Harold Coleman is clearly guilty of embezzlement, so why bother with a trial?"

The Faulty Analogy

Comparing two things that don't share a fundamental similarity.

Example

• "If we ban guns, then we might as well ban knives." Regardless of your standpoint on guns, guns were made to kill, while knives are used a tool to make food.

The Slippery Slope

In slippery slope reasoning, the arguer starts off with a sinlge condition, takes a stand against it, and uses as support the notion that other, worse things will happen if the first condition is allowed to exist.

Example

• "If we allow this, the sky will fall, the world will end, and we will all be zombies after the apocolypse.

Alright. So whats the point of all this?

Now that I've given you some examples, I am going to tell you how you can use or misuse Logical Fallacies. Logical Fallacies can be used to win an argument. They are most often used by politicians. However, you risk looking stupid in front of whoever you are having discourse with. In general, Logical Fallacies are often seen as a scumy way to win an argument. Often it is better to avoid them at all costs, least you get shut down and shamed for using them.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

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Let me know if you resteem for a 100% upvote!

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- @edolo