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Our study looked at people who were successful, as defined by their level of income. Our findings show that successful people consistently make more money than unsuccessful people.
circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
Dr. K has suggested that our program let students take statistics instead of calculus to for course requirements. Frankly, it is puzzling to me that she thinks calculus is a useless subject.
strawman: a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
How could Marvel not have won even one Academy Award? It's one of the most popular franchises of all time!
bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct
My opponent claims that testing products on animals is cruel. But I, for one, cannot support exposing humans to harmful chemicals!
strawman: a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
That team now has failed to win the World Cup for a decade, after they traded that one player to another team. People think the team is cursed as punishment for losing that player.
false cause: the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
That municipal administrator wants to create more bicycle lanes in our city. However, many citizens of the city live far from work. It would not be realistic to force us to give up our cars and bike everywhere.
strawman: a misrepresentation of an opponent's position that makes it easier to argue against
Dr. G's class is so boring! Why are all history classes so dull?
hasty generalization: a broad claim based on too few observations
We need to raise taxes to improve our public education. If we don't raise taxes, we are condemning our schools to failure.
false dichotomy: an argument that presents only two choices when more options exist
Last year, more people graduated from university and crime dropped. Clearly there's a link between the two.
false cause: the assumption that because two things happened together, one caused the other
I was in the hottest region in the country last summer, but it didn't get high temperatures one day. I think its reputation is exaggerated; it's not that hot.
hasty generalization: a broad claim based on too few observations
Donald Trump is a liar. How can anyone trust him to be president of the US?
ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
I can't take part in protests. I don't want to become like the angry protesters I see on the news.
begging the question, this fallacy leans on an argument that may not be true in the first place.
My pediatrician says we should stop letting my son choose what he wants to eat because he's at risk of diabetes, but what does she know? She's never been a mother.
ad hominem: an attack against the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself
Eating meat can't be wrong. After all, a majority of people in the world eat meat.
bandwagon fallacy: the assumption that the popular choice is automatically correct
I believe everyone has his or her own idea of what's beautiful in the world. After all, it's the individual who determines what's attractive according to his or her own opinion.
circular reasoning: an argument that supports a claim with the claim itself
You argue that vegetarianism can have a positive impact on the environment, but why should we believe you? I've seen you eat chicken.
ad hominem: an attack on a person rather than discussion of the actual argument.
