You are on page 1of 4

Short List of Fallacies Learning to Think Logically

by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn

who has the highest IQ in the world said he didn’t whole must also be true of each of its
Avoiding the Question think homeschooling turned out good citizens.
parts. This is the reverse of the part-to-
He said he didn’t think homeschoolers received
. Red Herring: Where someone enough socialization, so they will become social whole fallacy.
introduces an irrelevant point into an misfits. Do you still think homeschooling is a • If our bag of potato chips won’t float when I throw
good idea?” it in the pond, why will one of my potato chips
argument. He may think (or he may float by itself?
want us to think) it proves his side, but • If I can’t break this bunch of sticks, all at once,
. Appeal to the People: Where someone
it really doesn’t. Mommy, shouldn’t I be able to break each
• Grizzly bears can’t be dangerous – they look so claims his viewpoint is correct just individual stick?
cute. because many other people agree with
• When the presidential candidate was asked it. . Either-Or: Where someone asserts that
whether he’d name as a running mate someone • Political Candidate: “My opponent says abortion
who was opposed to abortion, he replied: “It
we must chose between two things,
is murder – despite the fact that a recent poll
would be incredibly presumptive for someone who concluded  of Americans believe an abortion
when in fact we have more alternatives.
has yet to earn his party’s nomination to be pick- • Either you’re an American or you are a Com-
does not murder an innocent child.”
ing a vice president. However, the main criterion munist. You aren’t from America, so you must be a
• It looks as if more people vacation in Florida than
I would use in choosing a running mate would be Communist.
any other place. It must be the nicest place in
whether the person was capable of being president.” • Either you believe in evolution, or you are totally
America to visit.
irrational. You say you don’t believe in evolution,
so you must be irrational.
. Ad Hominem: Where someone attacks
an opponent’s character, or his motives Making Assumptions
for believing something, instead of . Circular Reasoning: Where someone Statistical Fallacies
disproving his opponent’s argument. attempts to prove his conclusion . Hasty Generalization: Where someone
• Jenny: “My uncle says that all murderers should be
put to death because then nobody would want to by simply restating it. He says “P is generalizes about a class or group
murder anybody anymore.” Sylvia: “Wasn’t your true because Q is true, and Q is true based upon a small and poor sample.
uncle in jail once? I don’t think that we can trust because P is true.” • All plumbers are brilliant. I know a plumber who
somebody’s opinion who was once a criminal.” • Jimmy: Dad, why do I have to learn logic? Dad: can calculate Pi to the , digit.
• I know everybody thinks Einstein’s theory of Because it will help to develop your mind. Jimmy: • “Southerners talk fast. I was just on the phone
relativity is correct, but I can’t accept it. Einstein Why will it develop my mind? Dad: Because it with one and he sure talked fast.”
believed in evolution. will help you think better.
. Weak Analogy: Where someone claims
. Genetic Fallacy: Where someone . Equivocation: Where the meaning of that some items which have only a few
condemns an argument because of a word is changed in the middle of an minor similarities are practically the
where it began, how it began, or who argument. same in almost everything else.
began it. • If the English don’t drive on the right side of the • Clyde: “I think it is all right for governments in
• Jenny: “I think abortion is the murder of innocent road, what are they doing on the wrong side? developing countries to execute citizens who don’t
children.” Clyde: “The only reason why you • Dad: “Son, when you grow up I want you to agree with the government. If you want to make
disagree with abortion is because you were abused always be a responsible young man.” Son: “But an omelet, then you have to break a few eggs.”
as a child and you have never recovered from it.” Dad, I am already very responsible. Whenever • A cloud is  water. A watermelon is  water.
• Bert: “Mr Gritchus, why do you always wear sus- something breaks around here, it seems as if I am Since a plane can fly through a cloud, therefore a
penders and never a belt?” Mr Gritchus: “Because always responsible.” plane can fly through a watermelon.
belts were developed in the military centuries ago
and were used by soldiers. Since the military is . Loaded Question: Where someone . Post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc: Where
evil, and belts came from the military, therefore I
can’t wear a belt.”
asks one question which assumes the someone assumes that since A hap-
answer to a second question. pened before B, A must have caused B.
• Neighbor: “Why do you like to disturb the neigh- • Our rooster crows every morning. Then the sun
. Tu Quoque (You Too): Where someone borhood by playing your music so loud everybody comes up. Now do you understand how important
dismisses your viewpoint on an issue can hear it a mile away?” [Does the neighbor really roosters are?
because you are yourself inconsistent in like to disturb the neighborhood?] • Christianity came along in the fi rst century, and a
that very thing. • Judge: “Have you stopped beating your poor dog few hundred years after that, the Roman Empire
• Fred: “I wouldn’t smoke cigarettes if I were you. yet?” [Has he ever begun beating his dog?] fell. Christianity must have made it fall.
It is a bad habit and it will bring you all kinds of
problems.” Jake: “Don’t tell me not to smoke. You . Part-to-Whole: Where someone asserts . Proof-by-lack-of-evidence: Where
do it, too.” that what is true of part of something someone claims something is true
• “I don’t see what is wrong with speeding
– everybody does it.”
must also be true of the whole thing simply because nobody has yet given
together. them any evidence to the contrary.
• Child: “Mommy, why is this feather pillow so • “There must be mountain lions living in Illinois,
. Faulty Appeal to Authority: Where
heavy? It only has feathers in it and little feathers because I haven’t seen any proof that none exist.”
someone appeals to the authority of weigh hardly anything.” • No evidence has been found that life does not exist
someone who has no special knowl- • If I can break this bunch of sticks, one by one, on other planets. Therefore, we are not alone in the
edge in the area they are discussing. Mommy, why can’t I break a bunch of sticks universe.
• My car mechanic says the best way to fi x computer together?
problems is to just give the computer a good, sharp
kick. . Whole-to-Part: Where someone asserts Propaganda
• Bert: “I’ve been homeschooled all of my life, and I that what is true of something as a
think it has helped me out a lot.” Clyde: “The man . Appeal to Fear: Where someone moves
you to fear the consequences of not doing make us better, or stand out, from
what he wants. . Exigency: Where someone offers noth- everybody else.
• Prosecuting Attorney: “Ladies and gentlemen of ing more than a time limit as a reason • Advertisement: “Why read those boring logic
the jury, I urge you to convict John Jones of this books like everybody else does? You know you’re
for us to do what he wants.
crime of murder. We need to put him where he better than that. You need more intellectual
• Genuine lead teacups! Now  off ! Hurry, while
can never commit any crimes. If you don’t convict stimulation. Read The Fallacy Detective. Be more
supplies last!
him, you may be his next victim.” logical than the rest.”
• Mr: “Come on, why don’t you marry me today?”
• Restaurant owner: “You no lika’ da’ pizzas? I send • Buy skunk brand perfume. You will stand out in
Miss: “Oh, I can’t make up my mind. I only met
over my cousin Tony for a little change a’ mind. the crowd.
you this morning. Don’t you think it is a little
He maka’ you lika’ da’ pizzas.”
early.” Mr: “I’m leaving tonight and won’t be back
• Do you know what kind of damage a loose . Appeal to Tradition: Where we are
for several years. If you don’t marry me now, we
cow can do on your farm. Imagine what would
may never have another chance.” encouraged to buy a product or do
happen if your electric fence failed and your cows
wandered into the neighbors field. Buy a “Zapper” something because it is associated with
electric fence and you won’t have to worry about it. . Repetition: Where a message is something old.
repeated loudly and very often in the • A black and white photograph of man building a
hope that it will eventually be believed. guitar. The caption reads: “Play Martin Guitars.
. Appeal to Pity: Where someone urges • “Eat Sugarloops for breakfast! Eat Sugarloops for Our expert guitar craftsmen build guitars using
us to do something only because we lunch! Eat Sugarloops for supper! Eat Sugarloops only the most time honored traditions.”
pity him, or we pity something associ- all the time! You will love Sugarloops. • A black and white photograph of an old ’s
coupe on one page, and on the next a picture of a
ated with him. smart modern looking coupe whizzing down the
• Radio advertisement: “Mr Jones lost the last elec- . Transfer: Where an advertiser gets us
road. Caption reads: “Ford Thunderbird: yesterday,
tion because his opponent used a smear campaign to associate our good or bad feelings today and tomorrow.”
to discredit him. Mr Jones lost the election before
about one thing, to another unrelated
that because of voter fraud. Don’t you think it is
about time you voted for Mr Jones?” thing. . Appeal to Hi-tech: Where someone
• Motorist: “But officer, this is the fi fth ticket I’ve • In a commercial, a handsome man with big urges us to buy something because it is
been given this year. If I get another ticket, then bulging muscles is seen working out on the new
“Gutwrencher” exercise machine. The announcer
the “latest thing” – but not necessarily
they will take my license away, and I won’t be able
to drive to work. My wife and children will starve.” says, “Tone up your muscles in two weeks!” because it is the best thing.
• In a commercial, Gara Gorgeous, the famous • Clyde: “Hey Bert, you need to buy one of these
movie star with beautiful hair, holds up a bottle new Niko shoes. They have hi-tech “Dinotraction.”
. Bandwagon: Where someone pressures of shampoo and says. “Use Shimmer Bounce It’s a new special feature that helps you cling onto
us to do something just because many shampoo for better looking and better smelling the back of a running plesiosaur without falling
other people like us are doing it. hair.” off.”
• Clyde: “Dad, can I go to see the movie “Attack of • “Purefresh Mountain Spring Water” • Our “Laundry Ball” cleans your clothes automati-
the Killer Wombats?” Dad: “No, son, you can’t cally with our patented method of defusing the
ionization of the fetezoic acids and implanting a
go. I heard that movie has bad things in it.” Clyde: . Snob Appeal: Where someone encour-
“Awe, come on, everybody’s going to see it.” catalyst.
ages us to think his product would
• “More Americans get their news from ABC than
from any other source.”

S C  S  S  A T S C  S  S A T  U
Age Books to Use Comments Years or Books Comments
Before  We do not recommend doing workbooks with children Steps
before age . Therefore we do not use either the Primary  The Fallacy Many homeschoolers start logic with the wrong
book or Book  of Building Thinking Skills. Detective books and find it is very difficult without a
 Building Teacher’s Manual not needed. Problems and Critical teacher who already knows logic. Both these
Thinking are easy for a parent to solve. Covers: Thinking, books teach logical fallacies, and The Fallacy
Skills Book  Describing shapes, and words; Following Book  Detective also introduces the biblical idea of the
directions; Antonyms and Synonyms; inquiring mind.
Analogy; Parts of a whole; Mapping and  Critical Th is second book further develops some of the
directionality; Logical connectives; Pattern Thinking, material in Critical Thinking Book .
folding; Tracking, rotation, and Reflection; Book 
Mental manipulation of two-dimensional
objects; etc.  Introductory We recommend using the video series featuring
Logic video James Nance. The textbook alone is not self-
 Building Teacher’s Manual recommended. Problems series by teaching enough. Th is series covers traditional
Thinking can be challenging even for parent. Covers: Wilson & categorical syllogisms from a Christian perspec-
Skills Book  Deductive reasoning; Denotation/ Con- Nance tive.
Figural notation; Following directions; Map skills;
 Building Time ranking; Degree of meaning; Logical
Thinking connectives; Flowcharts; Parts of a whole; © Copyright ,  by Nathaniel and Hans Bluedorn. All rights
Skills Book  Branching diagrams; Analogy; Congru- reserved. www.ChristianLogic.com
Verbal ence; etc.

Canon Press, Box , Moscow, Idaho, The Critical Thinking Company, Box , Christian Logic, PO Box , Muscatine,
 – Introductory Logic video series by Pacific Grove, California,  – Build- Iowa  – The Fallacy Detective by
Wilson and Nance ing Thinking Skills by Sandra Parks and Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn
Howard Black, Critical Thinking by Anita
Harnadek

You might also like