fallacies
Errors in logic
Fallacies is the plural of fallacy, which denotes a mistaken belief or faulty reasoning.
In logic and rhetoric, fallacies are specific types of flawed arguments that may seem persuasive but don't hold up to scrutiny: The article was riddled with logical fallacies.
Common examples include attacking a person rather than their argument, or assuming that because one thing follows another, it was caused by it.
Outside formal logic, fallacy refers more broadly to any widely held but false idea: the fallacy that money buys happiness.
Formal deductive argument structure
- deductionConclusion from premises
- inductionFormal admission process
- invalidWithout legal force
- unsoundWeak or flawed
non sequitur · circular reasoning · straw man · red herring · ad hominem · post hoc · slippery slope · hasty generalization
Deceptive reasoning
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
spin · misdirection · deflection · whataboutism · moving the goalposts · appeal to emotion · appeal to tradition · poisoning the well
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
- anchoringFastening securely to position
- hindsight biasIllusion of prior knowledge
- cognitive dissonanceDiscomfort from contradictory beliefs
motivated reasoning · rationalization · self-deception · wishful thinking · groupthink · sunk cost · halo effect · framing effect
Erroneous belief or understanding
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- misapprehensionIncorrect belief or understanding
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
flawed reasoning · illusion · myth · superstition · old wives tale · urban legend · misinformation · falsehood
syllogism
Formal deductive argument structure
unsound · non sequitur · circular reasoning · straw man · red herring · ad hominem · post hoc · slippery slope · hasty generalization · false dilemma
sophistry
Deceptive reasoning
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
eloquence · spin · misdirection · deflection · whataboutism · moving the goalposts · appeal to emotion · appeal to tradition · poisoning the well · false balance
bias
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
- anchoringFastening securely to position
- hindsight biasIllusion of prior knowledge
cognitive dissonance · motivated reasoning · rationalization · self-deception · wishful thinking · groupthink · sunk cost · halo effect · framing effect · selection bias
misconception
Erroneous belief or understanding
- mistakeWrong action or decision
- misunderstandingFailure to grasp meaning
- misapprehensionIncorrect belief or understanding
flawed reasoning · delusion · illusion · myth · superstition · old wives tale · urban legend · misinformation · falsehood · untruth
- philosophy termstruth, reason, knowledge, wisdom, logic
- reasoningreasoning, reason, logic, inference, deductive
- logicpremise, premises, conclusion, conclusions, inference
- rhetoricrhetoric, persuasion, oratory, argumentation, debate
- Debate Skillsargument, rebuttal, logic, persuasion, evidence
- thinking errorsad hominem, straw man, slippery slope, confirmation bias, false dilemma
fallaciesfacts
Verifiable pieces of truth
truths · verities · realities · certainties · empirical evidence
fallaciesevidence
Facts supporting truth
sound judgment · proof · critical thinking · empirical evidence · intellectual rigor
- logical fallaciesDefects in reasoning structure
- fallacious argumentMisleading but plausible reasoning