Monthly Archives: December 2012

False Appeal to Authority:  Claiming something is true by appealing to a statement from someone who is either 1) not a bona fide authority, or 2) not an authority in the area under discussion. Refutation: People who are recognized authorities … Continue reading →

Poisoning The Wells:  Attempting to completely destroy someone’s credibility so that whatever they say will not be believed. Refutation: An argument stands or falls based on its internal structure and the truth value of it claims..  Example:  Adam: Betty, I … Continue reading →

Straw and Camel’s Back Defense: Attempting to minimize a series of past problems and claiming that the other party is being petty by ignoring the past series and focusing one only the last event. Refutation: The last straw did not break the … Continue reading →

Fallacy of The General Rule:  Asserting that because something is generally true, it must be true in the specific case. Refutation:  A general rule is just that – generally true. There is no reason to think that it is true in any … Continue reading →

Appeal to Ignorance (Argumentum Ad Ignoratum): Asserting that something is the case because we don’t know that it is not the case. Refutation:  Lack of knowledge does NOT prove anything. It just demonstrates a need for new information. Example:   Betty, … Continue reading →

Slippery Slope Argument:  Basing a conclusion on a certain coming chain or series of events. Refutation:  Just as stated in Refraction #17, Appeal to the Future, no one knows for sure that a certain even will happen, therefore no one … Continue reading →

Ultimate Fallacy (Pigheadedness):  Refusal to listen to an argument or discuss it any further.  Refutation: One of the primary reasons that people stop arguing is that they no longer have anything that can successfully defend their position. Their logic gun … Continue reading →

False Appeal to Authority: Appealing to someone who is either 1) not a bona fide authority, or 2) not an authority in the area under discussion. Refutation: Just because someone is well known or an expert in another field, that … Continue reading →

Fallacy of Division: Asserting that what is true of the whole of a complex thing is also equally true of one of its parts. Refutation: What is true of whole of a complex thing cannot be true of each of … Continue reading →

Chronological Snobbery:  Asserting that something is bad or good because it is either old or new. Refutation:  Whether something is old or new does not, in and of itself make something bad or good.  This has to be determined by … Continue reading →