Logical Fallacies Part 2 The Adventure Continues EitherOr

Logical Fallacies Part 2: The Adventure Continues

Either/Or (False Dilemma) • Offers only two choices or outcomes when in fact many others are possible. • Example: “Either you stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or you’re a traitor to the country. ” • Example: “A news story either tells the truth, or it’s nothing but lies. ”

Appeal to Tradition • Argues that something is good or true because “it’s always been this way. ” • Example: “Marriage should only be between a man and a woman because in the past it’s always been defined this way. ” • Example: You should become a doctor. After all, your father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all doctors.

Faulty Analogy (Bad Comparison) • An argument based on an unreasonable comparison. • Example: Exercise is just like candy. A little is good for you, but too much is unhealthy. • Example: "No one objects to a physician looking up a difficult case in medical books. Why, then, shouldn't students taking a difficult examination be permitted to use their textbooks? "

Appeal to Authority/Irrelevant Authority • Justifies an argument by citing a popular but unqualified person as evidence. • Example: Brad Pitt was seen wearing Designer Bob's sunglasses, so they must be the best sunglasses. • I think it’s a good idea to pierce my own ears. The most popular kid in school did it!

Circular Reasoning/Begging the Question • An argument in which the reason is itself an unproven assumption. Often the reason restates the claim in different words. • Ex: The Bible is the word of God because the Bible itself say so. • Ex: Abortion is an act of murder because ending the life of a fetus is an act of murder. • Ex: Gun control laws are pointless because they don’t do any good.