Fallacies of Arguments

Fallacies of Arguments

American Literature Research Paper

Rhetorical Analysis

» An effort to understand how people attempt to influence others through language and symbolic action

» This includes speeches, books, articles» Symbolic methods includeArchitecture; movies, television shows, memorials, websites, advertisements, photos and other images, dance, and popular songs

Rhetorical Analysis

» Carefully studying any kind of persuasive action in order to understand it better and to appreciate the tactics involved

Fallacies

» Arguments that are flawed by their very nature or structure

Fallacies of Emotional Arguments

» Scare TacticsExaggerating possible dangers well beyond their statistical likelihood. It’s easier to imagine it happening than its rarity.

Fallacies of Emotional Arguments

» Either-Or ChoicesSimplifying arguments and give them power by reducing complicated issues to two choices, one obviously preferable over the other“Ask any company where they’d rather locate and hire workers—a country with crumbling roads and bridges, or one that’s committed to high-speed Internet and high-speed railroads and high-tech research and development?”

Fallacies of Emotional Arguments

» Slippery SlopePortrays today’s tiny misstep as tomorrow’s slide into disaster. Becomes wrong when the writer exaggerates the consequences of an action

Fallacies of Emotional Arguments

» Overly sentimental appealsUsing tender emotions to distract readers from the facts. Used often on television news stories for higher ratings. Seldom give a complete picture of a complex issue.

Fallacies of Emotional Arguments

» Bandwagon AppealsUrge people to follow the same path everyone else is taking.

Fallacies of Ethical Arguments

» Appeals to False AuthorityOffering yourself or another as sufficient to warrant a claimTrust only expert sources. Verify their credentials

Fallacies of Ethical Arguments

» Ad Hominem ArgumentsArguments that attack the character of a person rather than the claims they makeYou destroy reasonable appeals or distract from the appeal the person is making

Fallacies of Ethical Arguments

» Stacking the DeckShowing only one side of the story – the one in your favor

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Hasty GeneralizationAn inference drawn from insufficient evidence“Because my Honda broke down, all Hondas must be junk.”It’s the basis for most stereotypes about people or institutions.“Women are bad drivers; men are slobs…”

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Faulty CausalityThe belief that just because one event or action follows another, the first causes the second.Ex: In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” the author feels the impact of technology has made the younger generation less intelligent. However, another expert argued after the article came out that the Internet is increasing intelligence and making the younger generation more intelligent.

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Begging the QuestionA circular argument that goes nowhere.Ex: You can’t give me a C in this course because I’m an A student.Claim: You can’t give me a C…Reason: …because I’m an A student.Warrant: An A student is someone who can’t receive Cs.

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» EquivocationHalf truths or arguments that give lies an honest appearance based on tricks of language.Ex: a plagiarist who copies a paper word for word from the source and then claims, “But I wrote the paper myself.” Meaning she physically copied it herself. A trick on the word “writing.”

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Non SequiturAn argument who claims, reasons or warrants do not connect logically.Ex: “You don’t love me or you’d buy me that bicycle!”Claim: You must not love me…Reason: …because you haven’t bought me that bicycle.Warrant: Buying bicycls for children is essential to loving them

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Red HerringThis technique changes the subject abruptly to throw readers or listeners off the trail.

Fallacies of the Logical Argument

» Faulty AnalogyWhen comparing something familiar to something unfamiliar is taken too far or two seriously.Comparing the familiar to the unfamiliar is used often to help people better understand issues. They become faulty analogies when the comparisons are inaccurate or inconsequential.