Transcript File

Logical Fallacies
Flaws in Persuasion
And
Rhetorical Appeals
In real life
• Thinking people don’t accept an argument just
because they hear it. They don’t let prejudice
taint their ability to listen to another person.
Think about what you hear. Determine if it is
fallacious or not.
Ad Populum
• Recognizes persuaders attempt to argue that
one should think or act a certain way because
most of the people are doing it
• (argument against bandwagon/plain folks)
• “The fact that the majority of our citizens
support the death penalty proves that it is
morally right.”
Appeal to Fear
Recognizes propaganda’s
attempt to create an irrational
fear in the audience by
presenting words or images
that are drastic extremes of
worst case outcomes
(argument against loaded
words/transfer)
Nazis are scary. Buy war
bonds to prevent them from
taking over your child
“A vote for him is like a vote
for terrorists.”.
CIRCULAR ARGUMENT
• Recognizes a speaker’s simple restatement
(repeating) the question, point, or argument
rather than actually answering or attempting to
prove it; talking in circles… getting nowhere
• (argument against repetition)
• https://enviropaul.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/l
ogical-fallacies-and-the-environment-circularreasoning/
FALSE ANALOGY
• Recognizes the error in focusing on subjects
unrelated to the real issue at hand by
connecting things the audience already has
positive (sex appeal, patriotism) or negative
(terrorism, human rights abuses) feelings
about. When examining the comparison, ask
yourself… how similar are these things?
• (argument against transfer/snob appeal)
FALSE AUTHORITY
• Recognizes that an ad or speaker has cited an
authority who is not qualified to have an
expert opinion OR cites an expert by hearsay
only
• (argument against testimonial)
• Example: My math teacher is tutoring me in
English.
FALSE DILEMMA
• recognizes when an ad or speaker has
suggested there are ONLY 2 options -- when
there are really more choices
• “Either you are for me or you are against me”
• “Either you let me copy your answers or you
are not really my friend”
Non-Sequitur
• something that just does not follow; using
ideas that don’t relate (argument against
transfer)
• http://examples.yourdictionary.com/nonsequitur-examples.html
Personal Attack- AD HOMINEM
• Attacking the individual or competitor instead
of the argument
• For example: In an ad, Verizon uses name-calling
(saying they are better than AT&T and Sprint). This is
the persuasive or propaganda device.
• AT&T and Sprint customers would point to the
fallacy, Ad Hominem, to argue that Verizon’s
ad should not the convince anyone to switch
Personal Attack- AD HOMINEM (cont.)
Political candidates (and immature people) use
name calling as a way to convince someone they
are right or “win” an argument (persuasive device)
Ad Hominem is the fault or problem with the
name calling strategy.
RED HERRING
• Recognizes a persuader’s attempt to distract or
divert another from the point by introducing
another topic/changing the subject
• M: It’s time for bed.
C: I’m hungry.
M: It’s time for bed.
C: I need to go to the bathroom.
SLIPPERY SLOPE
• Recognizes when a persuader has threatened a series of
increasingly dire consequences unless a particular action is
taken; this is a conclusion based on the premise, or
assumption, that if A happens, then eventually through a
series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen,
too, basically equating A and Z. If we don't want Z to occur,
A must not be allowed to occur either. This is NOT if this,
then that, but rather…
• if this, then this bad thing will happen, and then another
worse thing, and another even worse thing, and another
worse thing…
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIv3m2gMgUU
• https://vimeo.com/56257671
STRAW MAN
• recognizes when a persuader has misrepresented an
opponent’s point in order to make it easier to win
support or the argument
•
•
•
•
•
Son: “Can we get a pet dog?”
Mother: “No”
Son: “Why not? It will protect us as well.”
Mother: “Still, No”
Son: “Why are you leaving us and the home
unprotected?”
http://www.enkivillage.com/straw-man-argument.html
Identify the fallacy
• A: We should liberalize the laws on beer.
• B: No, any society with unrestricted access to
intoxicants loses its work ethic; no one will
ever go to work again.
• Straw Man
ID
• "If you continue to listen to that music so
loudly, you will lose your hearing completely.”
• Appeal to fear
ID
• "To his dying day, Governor Marvin Mandel will
never understand what was wrong in accepting
more that $350,000 worth of gifts from wealthy
friends who happened to engage in business
ventures that benefited from his gubernatorial
influence. The governor has lots of company …
And to defend the man, they have cried in
bewilderment that ‘everybody does it,’ that
politics survives on back scratching.”
• Ad populum
ID
• "Look, you are going to have to make up your
mind. Either you decide that you can afford
this stereo, or you decide you are never going
to listen music again.”
• False Dilemma
ID
• "We have to stop the tuition increase! The
next thing you know, they’ll raise the price of
books, then the price of dorms. Before you
know it, they'll be charging $40,000 a
semester and no one will be able to go to
college!”
• Slippery Slope
ID
• Teacher to Teacher conversation:
High school graduation requirements should be
stricter. I recommend that you support it, too.
After all, we are in a budget crisis, and we do
not want our salaries affected.
• Red Herring
ID
• President Reagan was a great communicator
because he had the knack of talking effectively
to the people.
• Circular Argument
ID
• https://www.google.com/search?q=false+authority+example&clien
t=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&imgil=JM2c33MarMJmyM%253A%253B
cs9yWQod_dj2UM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.truly
fallacious.com%25252Flogic%25252Flogicalfallacies%25252Frelevance%25252Fappeals%25252Fanecdotalfallacy&source=iu&pf=m&fir=JM2c33MarMJmyM%253A%252Ccs9y
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24MKHW9eDpgQyjcIPg&ei=yL8SWOGHFoi3jwTvvLnACQ#imgrc=6P
4ixBoAJSj0EM%3A
• False Authority
ID
• Employees are like nails. Just as nails must be hit in the
head in order to make them work, so must employees.
Copyright © Stephen Downes, 1995-2001
"Students should be allowed to look at their
textbooks during examinations. After all, surgeons
have X-rays to guide them during an operation;
lawyers have briefs to guide them during a trial;
carpenters have blueprints to guide them when
they are building a house.
http://fos.iloveindia.com/false-analogy-examples.html#jJJ6cVK8OmGlyjKs.99
• False Analogy
ID
• My child’s school is big. The teachers are not
as caring as they are at other schools.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5ETUut
WorA
• Non Sequitur
ID
• I have justice on my side, I am sure you will
not be influenced by this gentleman's
pretended knowledge of the law. He doesn't
even know which side of his shirt ought to be
in front!
paraphrase from Lincoln to jury
• Ad Hominem
ETHOS
• Credibility or ethical appeal
• Means convincing by character. We tend to
believe people we respect.
• Example: Michelle Kramer, director of research at
St. Jude, agrees that more money should be
spent to look into childhood leukemia.
• Angelina Jolie agrees that adoption is beneficial
to the children.
LOGOS
• Logical
• Persuasion through reason
• Leukemia affects one in four children. Money
should be spent to research so that we can
help those children.
• 40,000 children live in orphanages and need
good homes. People should explore adoption.
PATHOS
• Emotional
• Means persuading by appealing to emotions
• Leukemia affects thousands of children. Their
pain and suffering cannot be comprehended.
It could be your child.
• Some children have no future without
adoption.