Scribbr - List of most common logical fallacies

Logical fallacy list

Type Definition Example

Ad hominem fallacy Your argument addresses the character, motives, or You don’t know anything about speech disorders!
personal attributes of someone instead of the content of You don’t have one yourself!
their argument.

Anecdotal evidence fallacy You use a personal experience or rare example instead Person A: Smoking is bad for your health.
of substantive evidence or sound logic. Person B: No, it’s not! My grandpa smoked, and
he died at 98!

Appeal to authority fallacy You claim that your statement is true because a figure of Person A: I’m going to try a new medication for
(false or anonymous) authority made it. my migraines.
Person B: According to scientists, the best way
to alleviate migraines is by using essential oils.

Appeal to ignorance fallacy You claim that your statement is true because there is no Person A: You should try this new medication.
evidence against it. Or you claim that something is false Person B: Is it safe for children?
because there is no evidence in favor of it. Person A: There’s no evidence that it isn’t, so
you should try it.

Appeal to pity fallacy You try to convince your audience by provoking a feeling You should buy this bike, because I put so much
of guilt or pity with your argument. work into restoring it after my father passed
away.

Bandwagon fallacy (ad You claim that something is true because it’s the opinion Of course you should buy an iPhone. 1.5 billion
populum, appeal to popular of the majority. people can’t be wrong!
opinion)
Scribbr - List of most common logical fallacies

Burden of proof fallacy You are making a claim but evading the burden of proof Person A: We should invest in a social media
by pretending that you’ve fulfilled it or by proposing that campaign!
the other person is responsible for disproving your claim. Person B: Why?
Person A: Why not?

Circular reasoning fallacy You are using a statement to prove the reasons for the Person A: Jesse said Marc is very friendly,
statement (A is true because B is true, and B is true because he’s very nice.
because A is true). Person B: Did he say what’s so nice about him?
Person A: He’s very friendly!

Correlation-causation You assume a cause-and-effect relationship because two The sun is shining, and there have been more
fallacy things are correlated (in reality, correlation does not imply burglaries than usual. It’s clear that the sun
causation). causes people to steal.

Equivocation fallacy You use a word or phrase in your argument that can Fries are unhealthy. Apple fries are fries, so they
mean two things or causes ambiguity in a different way. must be unhealthy.

False dilemma fallacy You suggest there are only two sides to a debate or If I don’t buy the expensive new headphones, I’ll
(false dichotomy fallacy) dilemma when there are many more. have to use the old, broken ones.

Hasty generalization fallacy You make a claim based on very little evidence or on Two people I know experienced headaches after
(overgeneralization fallacy) evidence that’s not representative. getting vaccinated, so vaccines cause
headaches.

Loaded question fallacy You ask a question that contains a controversial or So you’re going to marry that cheating boyfriend?
subjective assumption that makes the other person feel
guilty or attacked, making it difficult for them to answer
honestly.

Middle ground fallacy You suggest that the truth is always a compromise Person A: Nobody should drive while under the
(argument to moderation) between two opposing or extreme opinions or positions. influence of alcohol.
Person B: Actually, drunk driving is totally fine.
Person C: I guess that some people should drive
drunk, and others shouldn’t.
Scribbr - List of most common logical fallacies

No true Scotsman fallacy You make a generalization about a group, but when Person A: All redheaded people have higher
confronted with contradictory evidence, you suggest that pain tolerance.
that case is not representative of the group you were Person B: Mary is a redhead, and she has very
generalizing about. low pain tolerance.
Person A: That doesn’t count! She’s strawberry
blonde and not a true redhead.

Post hoc (ergo propter hoc) You claim that one event is the result of another event, You sneezed, and then Susy got sick. You
fallacy simply because they one happened after the other. infected her!

Red herring fallacy You try to redirect a conversation away from its original Police officer: I’ve pulled you over for speeding.
topic by introducing an irrelevant piece of information to Offender: You shouldn’t be wasting your time on
distract the reader or listener. me; there are murderers out there!

Slippery slope fallacy You claim that an initial event or action will trigger a Person A: We should lower the legal drinking
series of other events and lead to an extreme, age.
undesirable outcome. Person B: No! If we do that, we’ll have
10-year-olds getting drunk in bars!

Straw man fallacy You distort someone else’s argument to make it easier to Person A: We should increase benefits for
attack or refute, because you’re not addressing their unemployed single mothers during the first year
actual argument. after childbirth.
Person B: So you believe we should incentivize
women to become single mothers and live off the
tax money of hardworking citizens?

Sunk cost fallacy You make an irrational, suboptimal decision to continue This movie is so boring, but we might as well
with an action or project because of past investments. keep watching. We’re already 30 minutes in!

Tu quoque fallacy (appeal You attempt to discredit someone else’s argument by Person A: Killing animals is wrong.
to hypocrisy) stating that their actions or behavior are not in line with Person B: You ate meat 10 years ago; you’ve
their argument (so they’re a hypocrite). They may well be done the same thing!
a hypocrite, but it doesn’t make their argument incorrect.