fallacies

FALLACIES

FALLACIES

What are fallacies?

false statements or

arguments

FALLACIES Dicto Simpliciter

an argument based on an

unqualified generalization 1.Exercise is good. Therefore,

everybody should exercise.

2.The things you learn in school

don’t have anything to do with

life.

FALLACIES Dicto Simpliciter

an argument based on an

unqualified generalization

FORMULA

= starts with a statement that is

true for some cases but not all

= applied to all cases

FALLACIES Hasty Generalization

a conclusion reached with too

few instances as support 1.You can’t speak French. He can’t

speak French. No one can speak

French.

2.We’ve had five good dates. We’re

well-matched.

FALLACIES Hasty Generalization

a conclusion reached with too

few instances as support FORMULA

= starts with the statement of at

least two cases

= proceeds with the cases being

applied to other cases

FALLACIES

Post Hoc

faulty cause-and-effect

relationship 1.It rains every time Bill

comes. Bill causes the

rain.

FALLACIES

Post Hoc

faulty cause-and-effect

relationship FORMULA

= event 1 takes place before event

2

= event 1 is said to cause event 2

FALLACIES Contradictory Premises

premises of an argument that

contradict each other 1.God can do everything, so He can

make a stone so heavy He can’t lift

it.

irresistible force:

immovable object

FALLACIES Contradictory Premises

premises of an argument that

contradict each other FORMULA

= two truths are given; the truths

are true on different levels

= the two truths are made to

contradict

FALLACIES Ad Misericordiam

an appeal to emotions rather

than reason 1.A man’s qualifications for a job

are his unfortunate

circumstances.

2.You are the whole world to me,

the moon and the stars…

FALLACIES Ad Misericordiam

an appeal to emotions rather

than reason

FORMULA

= an emotional situation is

given

= the listener is swayed to lose

objectivity

FALLACIES False Analogy

comparisons between two

completely different things 1.Students should be allowed to look

at books because professionals are.

2.Dating is like a cake; you don’t have

to eat a whole cake to know it’s

good.

FALLACIES False Analogy

comparisons between two

completely different things FORMULA

= the situation in one case is given

= the situation is likened or

applied to a completely different

case

FALLACIES Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

• there is a factual error in the

statement

1.Radium would not be discovered if

Madame Curie had not been

careless. If not for this, radium

wouldn’t have been discovered.

2.You wouldn’t learn about fallacies

if not for me. Be thankful to me.

FALLACIES Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

• there is a factual error in the

statement

FORMULA

= an untrue statement is given

= a conclusion, either true or

untrue, is made based on the

false statement

FALLACIES Poisoning the Well

unfair judgment

1.My opponent is a notorious

liar. You can’t believe him.

2.You can’t go out with Petey

Bellows who is a liar, a

cheat, and a rat.

FALLACIES Poisoning the Well

unfair judgment FORMULA

= something negative is

attributed

= another negative trait is

unjustifiably attributed based

on the first statement

FALLACIES

Every time I pray the rosary the night

before cards are given, I don’t get a

grade lower than 88. I’ll always pray

the rosary, so I will always get 2nd

honors.

A.Post Hoc

B.Ad Misericordiam

C.Contradictory Premises

D.Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

E.No Fallacy

I’ve had to change phones twice this year

because my Nokia phones keep conking

out. When I buy another phone, I’ll make

sure that it won’t be a Nokia because

Nokia phones are of poor quality.

A.No Fallacy

B.False Analogy

C.Ad Misericordiam

D.Dicto Simpliciter

E.Hasty Generalization

The suspect should be set free

because his wife just died, and

there is no one left to take care of

his three-year-old kid.

A.False Analogy

B.Ad Misericordiam

C.Poisoning the Well

D.Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

E.No Fallacy

Science has proven that energy is never

created nor destroyed, but simply

transformed from one form to another.

Therefore, the government is wrong to

say we’re wasting energy each day.

A.False Analogy

B.No Fallacy

C.Ad Misericordiam

D.Poisoning the Well

E.Contradictory Premises

I am 17. During the interaction, I found

out that more than half of the Povedans

on their junior year are 16. From then on,

I started believing that majority of the

Povedans in that batch are younger.

A.Ad Misericordiam

B.Post Hoc

C.No Fallacy

D.Hasty Generalization

E.Hypothesis Contrary to Fact

Water, no matter how filthy, is made to

undergo filtration to be used again.

Therefore, the leftover food for

segregation should be reheated and

resold to conserve precious resources.

A.Post Hoc

B.False Analogy

C.Dicto Simpliciter

D.Ad Misericordiam

E.No Fallacy

The student’s claim that he did not

cheat in the exams should not be

believed because nothing truthful

has ever come out of that student’s

mouth.

A.No Fallacy

B.Post Hoc

C.False Analogy

D.Dicto Simpliciter

E.Poisoning the Well

Philippine education is poor.

Therefore, Xaverians receive low

quality education.

A.Post Hoc

B.False Analogy

C.Dicto Simpliciter

D.No Fallacy


Xavier School is strictly for

students with some Chinese blood.

Therefore, Filipinos are not at all

welcome in Xavier School.

A.Post Hoc

B.False Analogy

C.Dicto Simpliciter

D.No Fallacy


All men have a Y chromosome.

Therefore, if I encounter a male,

he has a Y chromosome.

A.Ad Misericordiam

B.Poisoning the Well

C.Contradictory Premises

D.No Fallacy


FALLACIES What is the value in

learning the fallacies?

Isn’t it enough to know

if something is a fallacy

or not?

fallacies

Spiritual

fallacies hypothesis

ad misericordiamd

ad misericordiamc

false analogyb

false analogyc

fallacies dicto simpliciter

nokia becausenokia phones

fallacieshypothesis