“There are different kinds of logical fallacies that people make in presenting their positions.

Below is
a list of some of the major fallacies. It is a good idea to be familiar with them so you can point them
out in a discussion thereby focusing the issues where they belong while exposing error.

It is true that during a debate on an issue if you simply point out to your "opponent" a logical fallacy
that he/she has just made, it generally gives you the upper hand. But then, merely having the upper
hand is not the goal: truth is. Nevertheless, logical fallacies hide the truth; so pointing them out is
very useful.

1. Ad Hominem - Attacking the individual instead of the argument.Example: You are so

stupid your argument couldn't possibly be true.Example: I figured that you couldn't
possibly get it right, so I ignored your comment.
2. Appeal to Force - Telling the hearer that something bad will happen to him if he does
not accept the argument. Example: If you don't want to get beaten up, you will agree with
what I say.Example: Convert or die.
3. Appeal to Pity - Urging the hearer to accept the argument based upon an appeal to
emotions, sympathy, etc. Example: You owe me big time because I really stuck my neck
out for you.Example: Oh come on, I've been sick. That's why I missed the deadline.
4. Appeal to the Popular (argumentum ad populum)- Urging the hearer to accept a
position because a majority of people hold to it.Example: The majority of people like soda.
Therefore, soda is good.Example: Everyone else is doing it. Why shouldn't you?
5. Appeal to Tradition - Trying to get someone to accept something because it has been
done or believed for a long time.Example: This is the way we've always done it. Therefore,
it is the right way.Example: The Catholic church's tradition demonstrates that this doctrine
is true.
6. Begging the Question - Assuming the thing to be true that you are trying to prove. It is
circular.Example: God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is inspired. Therefore,
we know that God exists.Example: I am a good worker because Frank says so. How can we
trust Frank? Simple: I will vouch for him.
7. Category Mistake - Attributing a property to something that could not possibly have
that property. Attributing facts of one kind are attributed to another kind. Attributing to one
category that which can only be properly attributed to another.Example: Blue sleeps faster
than Wednesday.Example: Saying logic is transcendental is like saying cars would exist if
matter didn't.
8. Cause and Effect - assuming that the effect is related to a cause because the events
occur together.Example: When the rooster crows, the sun rises. Therefore, the rooster
causes the sun to rise.Example: When the fuel light goes on in my car, I soon run out of
gas. Therefore, the fuel light causes my car to run out of gas.
9. Circular Argument - See Begging the Question
10. Fallacy of Composition - Assuming that what is true of the part is true for the
whole.Example: That engine is blue. Therefore, the car is blue.Example: You are weird.
That means that your family is weird, too.
11. Fallacy of Division - Assuming that what is true of the whole is true for the
parts.Example: That car is blue. Therefore, its engine is blue.Example: Your family is
weird. That means that you are weird, too.
12. Fallacy of Equivocation - Using the same term in an argument in different places but
the word has different meanings.Example: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Therefore, a bird is worth more than President Bush.Example: Evolution states that one
 species can change into another. We see that cars have evolved into different styles.
Therefore, since evolution is a fact in cars, it is true in species.
13. False Dilemma, False Dichotomy - Giving two choices when in actuality there could
be more choices possible.Example: You either did knock the glass over this morning or you
did it this afternoon. Which is it? (Someone else could have knocked the glass
over).Example: Do you still beat your wife?
14. Genetic Fallacy - Attempting to endorse or disqualify a claim because of the origin or
irrelevant history of the claim.Example: The Nazi regime developed the Volkswagen
Beetle. Therefore, you should not buy a VW Beetle because of who started it.Example:
Frank just got out of jail last year; since it was his idea to start the hardware store, I can't
trust him.
15. Guilt by Association - Rejecting an argument or claim because the person proposing it
likes someone who is disliked by another.Example: Hitler liked dogs. Therefore, dogs are
bad.Example: Your friend is a thief. Therefore, I cannot trust you.
16. Non Sequitur - Comments or information that does not logically follow from a premise
or the conclusion.Example: We know why it rained today: because I washed my
car.Example: I don't care what you say. We don't need any more bookshelves. As long as
the carpet is clean, we are fine.
17. Poisoning the Well - Presenting negative information about a person before he/she
speaks so as to discredit the person's argument.Example: Frank is pompous, arrogant, and
thinks he knows everything. So, let's hear what Frank has to say about the subject.Example:
Don't listen to him because he is a loser.
18. Red Herring - Introducing a topic not related to the subject at hand.Example: I know
your car isn't working right. But, if you had gone to the store one day earlier, you'd not be
having problems.Example: I know I forgot to deposit the check into the bank yesterday.
But, nothing I do pleases you.
19. Special Pleading (double standard) - Applying a standard to another that is different
from a standard applied to oneself.Example: You can't possibly understand menopause
because you are a man.Example: Those rules don't apply to me since I am older than you.
20. Straw Man Argument - Producing an argument about a weaker representation of the
truth and attacking it.Example: The government doesn't take care of the poor because it
doesn't have a tax specifically to support the poor.Example: We know that evolution is
false because we did not evolve from monkeys.”
21. False dichotomy - “You’re either for us, or against us!”; “If you don’t want to build the
wall, then you must want people to be raped and killed!”
22. Ad hominem - “The media lies sometimes, and the media said that, so it must be a lie!”;
“Trump said it, so it can’t be right!”
23. Red herring - “You think Trump’s bald-faced lies are bad? What about Hillary?!”;
“Yeah, Democrats take just as much money from SuperPACs, but look at how corrupt the
Republicans are!”
24. No true Scotsman - “I don’t believe you’re a veteran, because you don’t like Trump, and
any real American veteran loves Trump!” [I’ve personally heard this exact statement
 more times than I can count]; “You can’t possibly have gone to college if you’re a
conservative, because conservatives hate colleges!”
25. Begging the question - “They’re not a Christian, so you know they’re immoral.”
[Presumes that all morality comes from religion]; “Well, if they’re conservative, they
must be an uneducated redneck.” [Presumes all conservatives are country bumpkins and
shun education]
26. And my least favorite of all:
27. Argument from fallacy - “Your argument used ad hominem, which is a logical fallacy,
so it can’t be true!”; “Ha! You begged the question, so obviously what you’re saying is
wrong!”
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