Welcome to fallacy detection! You've learned to map arguments and spot missing links. Now let's identify the sneaky tricks that make bad arguments sound convincing.
These are called logical fallacies, and they're everywhere in politics, advertising, and daily conversations.
Engagement Message
Where do you expect to use your new fallacy-detecting skills?
Logical fallacies are flawed reasoning patterns that seem persuasive but actually derail good thinking. They're like optical illusions for your brain—they look right but lead you astray.
The scary part? Most people using fallacies don't even realize they're doing it.
Engagement Message
Can you think of an argument that sounded convincing but felt "off" somehow?
Let's start with ad hominem—attacking the person instead of their argument. "Don't listen to Sarah's budget proposal; she's terrible at managing her own money."
Notice how this ignores whether Sarah's proposal is actually good or bad?
Engagement Message
What should we focus on instead of Sarah's personal finances?
Here's the straw man fallacy: misrepresenting someone's position to make it easier to attack. "Jake wants to reduce military spending, so he obviously hates our troops."
The real position (reduce spending) becomes a fake position (hates troops) that's easier to tear down.
Engagement Message
How does "reduce spending" differ from "hate troops".
False dilemma presents only two options when more exist. "Either we ban all cars or accept that pollution will kill us all."
This ignores electric cars, public transport, emission standards, and dozens of other solutions.
Engagement Message
What other options exist between these two extremes?
Another common fallacy is the slippery slope: claiming that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of related (and usually negative) events. "If we allow students to redo one assignment, soon they'll expect to retake every test and never learn responsibility."
Engagement Message
Does one small change always lead to extreme consequences?
Appeal to popularity (ad populum) is when someone argues that a claim must be true because many people believe it. "Everyone I know thinks this diet works, so it must be effective."
Engagement Message
Is something true just because it's widely believed?
The key to spotting fallacies is asking: "Is this attacking the actual argument?" and "Are there other possibilities being ignored?"
Your argument mapping skills help here—trace the logical connections and look for weak spots.
Engagement Message
Which of today's fallacies do you encounter most often?
Type
Swipe Left or Right
Practice Question
Let's practice identifying fallacies versus valid arguments. Swipe each statement based on whether it contains a logical fallacy or represents sound reasoning.
Labels
- Left Label: Contains Fallacy
- Right Label: Sound Reasoning
Left Label Items
- My opponent is a known liar, so his tax plan is wrong
- Either we drill for oil or freeze in the dark
- She's just saying that because she's young and inexperienced
- You're either with us or against us
Right Label Items
- The evidence shows this policy reduced crime by 20%
- Three independent studies confirm these results
- Her argument has merit, but here's where I disagree
- We should consider multiple solutions to this problem
