{"id":326,"date":"2026-03-08T08:18:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/?page_id=326"},"modified":"2026-03-08T08:18:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T12:18:55","slug":"logical-fallacies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/resources-for-teachers\/speech-topics-activities\/logical-fallacies\/","title":{"rendered":"Logical Fallacies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following are commonly used elements of argumentation that tend to weaken arguments by diverging from logical approaches to the support of claims (i.e., the use of evidence). Note, however, the Fallacy Fallacy<\/strong>: <\/strong>Just because an argument contains a fallacy does not necessarily mean that the argument\u2019s claim is invalidated. Many of the following fallacies represent argumentative tactics that can be effective, but not necessarily in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ad Hoc Rescue
<\/strong>Explaining away a challenge to a claim or belief without presenting evidence or thorough reasoning supporting the defense; modifying a belief \u201con the fly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ad Hominem Attack<\/strong>
Aggressive behavior against the opposition\u2019s identity instead of argument concerning the issue under discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affirming the Consequent
<\/strong>Assuming a phenomenon has a cause with which you are familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Authority
<\/strong>Suggesting that because someone in authority says it, it must be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Fear
<\/strong>Suggesting threat in order to manipulate the hearer\u2019s emotions toward your side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Novelty
<\/strong>Suggesting that because something is new, it must be better or true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Personal Bias
<\/strong>Highlighting things about a subject that activate your audience\u2019s liking or disliking, but are separate from the issue under discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Pity
<\/strong>Highlighting things about a subject that activate the audience\u2019s humanistic emotions, eclipsing logical and\/or ethical elements of the decision making process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Ridicule
<\/strong>Avoiding challenges to rationale by simplistically characterizing opposing viewpoints as absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appeal to Tradition
<\/strong>Suggesting that because it has been done\/believed for a long time, it must be good\/true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bandwagon Fallacy
<\/strong>Suggesting that because many do\/believe it, the audience should, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burden of Proof Fallacy
<\/strong>Deflecting responsibility for providing supporting evidence by suggesting that the opposition is responsible for providing challenging evidence instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circular Reasoning<\/strong>
The process of concluding that something is true depends on already believing that thing to be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confirmation Bias<\/strong>
Information challenging a desired conclusion is ignored in the information gathering process; information confirming the conclusion is privileged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc<\/strong>
Suggesting that because two phenomena occurred at the same time and\/or place, one must have caused the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

False Dichotomy<\/strong>
Suggesting there are only two sides to an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

False Equivalence<\/strong>
Suggesting opposing sides are equally right\/wrong or guilty\/not guilty of error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecological Fallacy
<\/strong>Suggesting that because the group appears to display an attribute, the members must also display that attribute, or vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gambler\u2019s Fallacy<\/strong>
Suggesting that phenomena will occur again because they have occurred in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic Fallacy
<\/strong>Suggesting a claim is true\/untrue merely because of its source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfection Fallacy<\/strong>
Rejecting a policy or argument because it does not address problems perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc<\/strong>
Suggesting that because one event followed another, it must have been caused by the prior event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slippery Slope Fallacy<\/strong>
Suggesting a current observed phenomenon can only grow in intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Straw Man Argument<\/strong>
Arguing against a simplified version of the opposition\u2019s argument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two Wrongs Don\u2019t Make A Right<\/strong>
Suggesting that because your opponent committed an error, it gives you a pass to commit the same error.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following are commonly used elements of argumentation that tend to weaken arguments by diverging from logical approaches to the support of claims (i.e., the use of evidence). Note, however, the Fallacy Fallacy: Just because an argument contains a fallacy does not necessarily mean that the argument\u2019s claim is invalidated. Many of the following fallacies represent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":304,"featured_media":0,"parent":228,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-326","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nLogical Fallacies - Tennessee Online Public Speaking Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cci.utk.edu\/tops\/resources-for-teachers\/speech-topics-activities\/logical-fallacies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Logical Fallacies - Tennessee Online Public Speaking Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following are commonly used elements of argumentation that tend to weaken arguments by diverging from logical approaches to the support of claims (i.e., the use of evidence). 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