Logical Fallacies

Icon                 Fallacy Description

Strawman fallacy explained with diagram showing how an argument is distorted and attacked instead of addressing the original claim.

 

Straw Man

Misrepresenting someone’s argument by exaggerating or distorting it, then attacking that weaker version instead of the original claim. Read More…
 

False cause fallacy icon showing two unrelated trends incorrectly linked as cause and effect.

 

False Cause

Assuming that because two events occur together or in sequence, one must have caused the other. Read More…
 

Appeal to Emotion fallacy icon showing emotion overpowering logic.

 

Appeal to Emotion

Attempting to persuade by triggering emotion instead of presenting logical evidence. Read More…
 

Balanced scale icon with brain in center, green checkmark on one side and red exclamation mark on the other representing the Fallacy Fallacy logical error.

 

The Fallacy Fallacy

Believing a claim is false just  because the argument  supporting it contains a   logical error. Read More…
 

Triangular warning icon showing a person slipping down a domino slope, symbolizing the slippery slope fallacy and chain reaction reasoning.

 

Slippery Slope

Arguing that allowing one action will inevitably trigger a chain of extreme and undesirable consequences—without providing evidence that such escalation will actually occur. Read More…

Cartoon illustration explaining ad hominem logical fallacy where one person presents facts and charts while another throws insults and tomatoes during a debate

 

Ad Hominem

Attacking a person’s character or personal traits instead of addressing their argument. This logical fallacy shifts attention away from the issue and attempts to discredit the speaker rather than the claim. Read More…

Tu quoque logical fallacy icon showing two people pointing fingers with “you did it too” speech bubble representing hypocrisy argument tactic.

 

Tu Quoque

Avoiding criticism by accusing the critic of doing the same thing instead of addressing the argument itself. This fallacy shifts attention from the issue to the opponent’s hypocrisy. Read More…

Personal incredulity logical fallacy icon showing confused person rejecting evolution, quantum physics atom, and GPS satellite with speech bubble saying “that sounds impossible”

 

Personal Incredulity

A thinking error where people reject ideas like evolution or quantum physics simply because they seem hard to understand. Learn simple examples and how to avoid this logical fallacy. Read More…
 

Special pleading logical fallacy icon showing a person moving a soccer goalpost during an argument with speech bubbles and a brain symbol representing cognitive dissonance.

 

Special Pleading

A logical fallacy that occurs when someone changes the rules, adds new conditions, or creates exceptions after their claim is challenged, just to protect their original belief instead of accepting the evidence. Read More…
 
Loaded question logical fallacy icon showing a question mark speech bubble with a hidden trap and yes or no dialogue choices representing a misleading question with hidden assumptions.
 

 

 

Loaded Question

A loaded question is a tricky question that contains a hidden assumption, forcing someone to answer in a way that may make them appear guilty even if they did nothing wrong. Read More…

 

Burden of proof icon showing person carrying proof weight while making a claim and another asking for evidence logical fallacy concept

 

Burden of Proof

The person making a claim must provide evidence to support it, not expect others to disprove it—because belief should always follow proof, not assumptions. Read More…

 

Minimal flat icon showing ambiguity in language with split speech bubble, checkmark and warning sign, representing double meaning logical fallacy and misinterpretation

 

Ambiguity

Ambiguity is when a sentence has more than one meaning, often causing confusion or misunderstanding. It’s common in everyday language and can sometimes mislead. Read More…

 

Minimalist gambler’s fallacy icon with roulette wheel, coin flip sequence and brain showing false pattern recognition in probability

 

The Gambler’s Fallacy

The Gambler’s Fallacy is the false belief that past results affect future outcomes in random events. Each event is independent. Read More…

 

Bandwagon fallacy icon showing group of people following crowd and one person thinking independently with lightbulb symbol

 

The Bandwagon

The bandwagon fallacy happens when people believe something is true just because many others do. It’s driven by popularity, not facts, and can lead to poor decisions. Thinking independently helps avoid this trap. Read More…


Appeal to authority fallacy icon showing blind trust in expert versus critical thinking with evidence checklist and brain symbol

 

Appeal to Authority

The appeal to authority fallacy is when a claim is accepted as true just because an expert says it, without checking the evidence. Real understanding comes from proof, not titles. Read More…

 

Minimal icon showing composition/division fallacy with small parts forming a whole and a group breaking into individuals

 

 

Composition/Division

 

The composition/division fallacy is the mistake of assuming what’s true for parts is true for the whole, or vice versa. Read More…

 
 

No True Scotsman fallacy icon showing Scottish man moving goalpost with porridge bowl representing shifting argument definitions

 

 No True Scotsman

The No True Scotsman Fallacy is when someone rejects a counterexample by redefining what “true” means to protect their claim. Read More…

Genetic fallacy icon showing rejecting idea based on source instead of evaluating evidence simple line vector illustration

 

Genetic Fallacy

The genetic fallacy is judging an idea by its source, not its truth or evidence.It often leads to biased thinking and poor decisions. Read More…

Minimalist black and white thinking icon showing false dilemma concept with split toggle and branching decision paths representing multiple choices

 

Black-or-white

Black-or-white fallacy presents only two choices while ignoring other possibilities, leading to oversimplified thinking and poor decisions. Read More…

circular reasoning ouroboros snake icon representing begging the question logical fallacy minimal vector

 

Begging The Question

Begging the question fallacy is a circular argument where the conclusion is used as its own proof, offering no real evidence or support. Read More…

appeal to nature fallacy icon showing balance between natural elements like leaf and snake and artificial elements like lab flask and pill

 

Appeal to Nature

The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is the mistake of assuming something is good just because it’s natural or bad because it’s artificial—when in reality, only evidence determines value. Read More…

Minimal vector icon showing anecdotal thinking vs real evidence with single person speech bubble contrasted against group data chart illustration

 

    Anecdotal

Anecdotal Fallacy is when people believe things are getting worse based on personal stories or nostalgia instead of real data. It relies on selective memories, not evidence. Read more…

Texas Sharpshooter fallacy icon showing barn with scattered bullet holes and target circle around clustered shots representing cherry-picked data and false patterns

 

The Texas Sharpshooter

The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy is when random data is cherry-picked to create a false pattern, making it look meaningful when it’s not. Read More…

1 thought on “Logical Fallacies

  1. How wonderful to find these on a commercial site. You’ve made my day.

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