Ad hominem
Tries to counter an argument by attacking the person, rather than addressing the argument itself.
Ad ignorantiam
States that a specific belief is true because we don’t know that it isn’t true.
Argument from authority
Argues that something is true because a respected individual (an individual with authority) says it is.
Correlation implies causation
Fairly self-explanatory. Correlation DOES NOT imply causation.
False Dichotomy
Reducing a set of many possibilities to only two, in order to make a choice seem obvious when it is not.
Non sequitur
“Doesn’t follow”. When the conclusion of an argument does not follow from its premises.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
“After this, therefore because of this”. Implies that because B happened after A, A must have caused B.
Straw Man
Misrepresenting an argument in order to make it easier to argue against.
Tu quoque
“You too”. Justifying an action because someone else did it first, or damning a claim because its proposer has not adhered to it in the past.
Ignoratio elenchi
Presenting an argument which, although it may be true, is not relevant to the topic in hand.
Via schofio
How handy.
My logic professor was 100% correct when he said that logic would possibly be the most useful class we would take throughout college. One edit to this list, though:
Ad ignorantiam
States that a specific belief is true because it hasn’t been proved false.
(Source: schofio)
