Fallacy Description Example

False Dilemma Occurs when an arguer presents his/her argument as Either you fully devote yourself to company or you quit.
one of only two options despite the presence of
multiple possibilities

Appeal to Occurs when something is instantly concluded to be The writer does not talk about the connection between the
Ignorance true just because it is not proven to be false, and vice victim’s killer and his sister, so there must be none.
versa

Slippery Slope Occurs when a series of increasingly superficial If we ban computer shops, then students will not be able to do
and unacceptable consequences is drawn research. And if they do not have tools for research, these
students will fail their subjects.

Complex Occurs when two or more points are rolled into one “Have you stopped cheating on exams?”
Question and the reader is expected to accept or reject both
at the same time, when one point may be satisfactory
while the other is not

Appeal to Force Occurs when a threat, instead of reasoning is used to If you do not admit that evolution is not real, we will isolate you
argue from the group.

Appeal to Pity Occurs when the element of pity is used instead of Please do not fire me for being absent all month; I have a sick
logical reasoning mother and a special child to support.

Appeal Occurs when unpleasant consequences of You can’t believe that colonialism is bad, because if it were, then
to Consequences believing something are pointed out to show that the we would not be civilized.
belief is false

Bandwagon Occurs when an argument is considered to be valid Most Filipinas want to have fair skin because they think they
because it is what the majority thinks look beautiful. Therefore, having fair skin must be the real
standard of beauty.

Attacking the Occurs when someone tries to refute an argument by I cannot accept your argument because, unlike me, you were
Person attacking the character of a person instead of not educated at Harvard University.
attacking the ideas of the argument

Appeal to Occurs when the argument quotes an expert who’s Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, recommends the
Authority not qualified in the particular subject matter effective fabric softening properties of Downy fabric softener.
 Anonymous The authority in question is not mentioned or named Experts claim that eating peanuts causes pimples.
Authority

Hasty Occurs when a sample is not significant enough to Martha, the foreigner from France is very impolite. French people
Generalization support a generalization about a population are mean and rude.

False Analogy Occurs when a writer assumes that two concepts that Drugs are like massages: they make you feel good.
are similar in some ways are also similar in other ways

Accident Occurs when a general rule is applied to a situation, Jaywalking is not allowed, so you should not have done that
even when it should be an exception even when you were being chased by terrorists.

Post Hoc It is an informal fallacy that states: “Since event A Dina saw cat when they went home. Along the way, they
followed event B, event A must have been caused by crashed into a tree. The black cat must be the reason why they
event B.” met an accident.

Wrong Direction Occurs when the direction between cause and effect Liver damage leads to alcoholism.
is reversed

Complex Cause Occurs when the explanation for an event is reduced We were not able to solve the problem because of limited time,
to one thing when there are other factors which also even if all the other groups were able to do so.
contributed to the event

Irrelevant Occurs when an argument which is supposed to prove We must support the fight for gender equality between men
Conclusion something, concludes something else instead. and women. Women have suffered enough violence at
home. Violence against women must be stopped.

Straw Man Occurs when the position of the opposition is twisted so Opponent: We should relax the law governing the allowed
that it is easier to refute smoking areas in the city.
Fallacy: We should not do so, because the number of smokers
might increase.

Affirming Any argument of the form: If A is true then B is true; If B If you are drinking wine, you have a problem. Therefore, if you
the Consequent is true therefore A is true have a problem, you are drinking wine.

Denying Any argument of the form: If A is true then B id true; If A If you are drinking wine, you have a problem. Therefore, if you
the Antecedent is not true then B is not true are not drinking wine, you do not have a problem.

Inconsistency Occurs when arguments contradict one another Frank is older than Jake, Jake is older than Noli and Noli is older
than Frank.