sophisms
Clever false arguments
Sophisms are arguments that appear logical but are actually flawed or deceptive.
The term suggests cleverness employed in service of falsehood—reasoning designed to persuade rather than illuminate truth.
A sophism may exploit ambiguity, misdirect attention, or smuggle in false premises: His case against regulation was built on sophisms about free markets.
The singular sophism names a single such argument.
Causing false beliefs
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- guileSly, strategic dishonesty
artifice · obfuscate · manipulate · beguile · devious · insidious · duplicitous · casuistry
Superficially plausible but flawed
Convincing through reasoning
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
eristic · disputation · polemic · forensics · argumentation · dialectic · quibbling · hair-splitting
Greek paradox thinker
- SocraticRelating to elenctic inquiry
- PlatonicOf the Forms philosopher
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
paradox · epistemology · logic · refutation · antinomy · thesis · antithesis · proposition
misleading
Causing false beliefs
- disingenuousFeigning ignorance or innocence
- chicaneryDeception through clever manipulation
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
guile · artifice · obfuscate · manipulate · beguile · devious · insidious · duplicitous · casuistry · prevaricate
specious
Superficially plausible but flawed
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
- illogicalContrary to valid reasoning
- invalidWithout legal force
flawed · erroneous · equivocation · non-sequitur · whataboutism
persuasion
Convincing through reasoning
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
demagoguery · eristic · disputation · polemic · forensics · argumentation · dialectic · quibbling · hair-splitting · spin
Zeno
Greek paradox thinker
- SocraticRelating to elenctic inquiry
- PlatonicOf the Forms philosopher
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
syllogism · paradox · epistemology · logic · refutation · antinomy · thesis · antithesis · proposition · premise
sophisticated, sophistry, unsophisticated, sophistication, sophisticate, sophism, sophist, sophistical, sophistic