As you create arguments and attempt to persuade others through research papers and conversations with others, you should avoid using logical fallacies, or arguments that are fundamentally flawed in reasoning. You should also be aware of these logical fallacies when evaluating information presented all around you! According to the video presented above by the Mometrix YouTube channel, below are the "top ten" logical fallacies.
1. Circular reasoning "is when the argument is restated rather than proven" and not further supported.
2. Hasty generalization "is when someone makes a sweeping statement without considering all of the facts."
3. Slippery slope "is a conclusion based on the premise that one small step will lead to a chain of events resulting in some significant event, which is usually negative."
4. Straw man "is a technique where someone distorts an opponent's claim so that it is easier to refute, or where someone tries to refute a point someone made by giving a rebuttal to a point they did not make."
5. Ad Hominem " is an attack on a person’s character or personal attributes in order to discredit their argument."
6. False dichotomy "occurs when an argument presents two points while disregarding or ignoring others in order to narrow the argument in one person’s favor. This is also known as an “either/or” fallacy."
7. Appeal to emotion "is when a writer or speaker uses emotion-based language to try to persuade the reader or listener of a certain belief or position."
8. Equivocation "is when an argument is presented in an ambiguous, double-sided way, making the argument misleading."
9. Bandwagon appeal "is an appeal that presents the thoughts of a group of people in order to persuade someone to think the same way."
10. False analogy " also known as a weak analogy, is when two things that are unalike are being compared based on a trivial similarity in order to prove a point."
Watch the video for more details and examples. Be sure to craft your arguments carefully and search the MCTC Library databases for credible sources of information and data!
If you have a question and would like to chat with a librarian, click on the "Chat Now?" button below.
If you would like to schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian, click on the button Schedule Appointment with Librarian.
If you need help and Chat is offline, contact us through "Ask A Librarian" form. We will respond as soon as we can.
You may also call (606)759-7141, ext. 66206.
Can't get to the databases? Go to the Off-Campus Instructions library guide.
NOTE: Students may see a login error when accessing electronic library resources. Often, this error occurs when using Google Chrome. This error is generally caused either by an expired authentication token or a prior sign-in attempt in progress.
To avoid this error, you can close the browser and reopen it in a "private" or "incognito" window. It is recommended that college students and employees always use private browsing to access library electronic content. Using a browser other than Chrome may also prevent this error from occuring. You may also fix this problem by going to your browser settings to the search history and clear/delete the data from websites you have visited and clear the cookies saved in the history. Then, close the browser and reopen it.
The Uses of Argument by 
The Aims of Argument by 