Types of Flaws Flashcards
Lists types of flaws (50 cards)
Ad Hominem
Dismissing a persons point of view based on their motivations or their past; deeming someones opinion invalid based on their personal character vs. the content of their argument
Causal flaws
Broad term of flaw which assumes that an argument incorrectly infers causation; can include correlation/causation but is not always the same
Circular reasoning
When the conclusion is no more than a restatement of the evidence provided as support for that conclusion
Comparison Flaw
The argument compares two things without considering all relevant factors
Conditional logic.
Conditions, universals, guarantees, requirements
Conditional Logic Flaw
The argument treats a conditional statement like it can be reserved or negated
Equivocation
Using a key word or concept in two very different ways
False Choice
The argument ignores other possible solutions/explanations; or it ignores the middle ground between two opposites
Inappropriate Appeals
Relying on somebody who is not an expert on the subject
Insufficient evidence/lack of evidence
Pretty much the same as unproven/proven; Self-explanatory; when there is not enough evidence in the premises to support the strength of the conclusion
Internal Contradiction
When a statement contradicts itself internally; occurs in several ways, for example, if one premise contradicts another or if a conclusion denies a claim made in the premise
Necessary vs. Sufficient
Opinion vs. Fact
An argument treats people’s opinions as established fact
Overgeneralization or sampling error
When the arguer inappropriately argues that what is true of one case must be true of a much bigger sample size
Part v. Whole
Believes that a characteristic of one component justifies a characteristic of an entire thing, or vice versa. d
Percent vs. Amount
The argument jumps from facts about percentages to conclusions about amounts, or vice versa
Possible vs. Certain
The argument establishes that something is possible or probable, and then concludes that something is definitely going to happen
Relative vs. Absolute
The argument jumps between comparative terms and absolute ones.
Strawman
A speaker argues against an argument the other side didn’t quite make
Temporal flaw
The argument assumes that just because something is true in the past, it will continue to be true, or past odds influence future chances
Unproven vs. Proven
An inability to prove a claim doesn’t mean the claim is false
How can one distinguish between overgeneralization and part/whole?
Overgeneralization tends to make broader claims. For example,
Overgeneralization: “Josie is a poet and she’s been to Europe. Thus, all poets have been to Europe.”
Part.Whole: “Each member of Josies poetry club has taken a trip to Europe before. Thus, Josies poetry club has taken a trip to Europe before”
The part/whole example refers only to generalizing amongst the poetry club, whereas the sampling error method generalizes to a much larger population.
What is the flaw that corresponds with this answer choice: “disregards the argument based on the authors credibility”
Ad Hominem
What is the flaw that corresponds with this answer choice: “confuses correlation with causation” or “assumes a causal relationship without sufficient evidence”
Causal flaw
