TYPES OF FALLACY

Fallacies – flaw in argument caused by irrelevant or inadequate evidence, erroneous reasoning or improper expression. Fallacies may take the form of material, psychological or logical

Types of Fallacy
Material fallacies includes hasty and casual generalizations, post hoc, faulty analogy and either or syndrome.
1. hasty generalization
2. Faulty analogy
3. post hoc fallacy( after this, therefore because of this)
4. either or syndrome
1. Hasty Generalization-the speaker or writer draws a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient, inadequate support or unrepresentative evidence. In this type of fallacy the writer misstates, exaggerates or minimizes the facts by representing inferences as facts, stereotyping or generalizing from a small sample.

2. Faulty Analogy- this is an invalid comparison in which two things that are not alike in significant respects or have critical points of differences are compared and assumed to be similar even though they are basically different.


3. Post Hoc fallacy (after this, therefore because of this) mistakes temporal succession for causal sequence. In other word the assumption is made that one event is the cause of another despite the fact that no proof is given.

4. Either or Syndrome occurs when the writer assumes that there are only two side or alternatives to an issue.

Psychological Fallacies- ad hominem appeals, ad populum appeals, appeal to authority, bandwagon appeal, strawman appeal and red herring appeal.
1. ad populum
2. ad hominem ( to the person)
3. appeal to authority
4. band wagon
5. straw man appeal
6. red herring appeal

1. Ad Populum fallacy is where the speaker or writer sidelines the issue by stirring up the prejudices and biases of his audience through the use of loaded and emotive words.

2. Ad Hominem ( to the person) fallacy is an irrelevant attack that is launched on the person or source originating an argument and an appeal is made to personal considerations rather than to logic or reason instead of responding to substantial issues that are raised.

3. Appeal to Authority involves an improper appeal to authority as well as the citing of expert knowledge to support an argument without sufficient acknowledgement.

4. Bandwagon Appeal occurs when an individual attempts to validate his claim by suggesting or giving the impression that everyone believes it and that the idea is acceptable and sound because everyone accepts it as being so.

5. Straw man Appeal is where an individual attacks a weakened form of an opponent’s argument or an argument that his opponent did not advance.

6. Red Herring Appeal drags in a side issue to detract the audience from the main issue.

Logical fallacies focus on non sequitur, begging the question circular reasoning and vagueness.
1. Non sequitur
2. begging the question
3. circular reasoning
4. vagueness

1. Non sequitur suggests that the argument does not follow. Here the claim that is made is irrelevant to or is unsupported by the evidence that is put forward.

2. Begging the Question-This fallacy assumes as a premise or as evidence for an argument the very claim or point that is in the question. In other words the issues are sidestepped and the question is begged.

3. Circular Reasoning is an argument in which the evidence and the conclusion are restated.

4. Vagueness occurs when the writer or speaker uses terms that have not been defined in such a way as to give the impression that they have universal acceptable meanings.