STUVIA 2024/2025
COMS 145-Pseudoreasoning
Fallacious reasoning where the problem does not involve the form of the argument. Often involves a
problem of relevance. - ✔✔Pseudoreasoning
When one shifts the issue. - ✔✔Red Herring
"_____ must be true because everybody thinks its true" - ✔✔Appeal to Belief
"It's ok for me to do it. Everybody does it." - ✔✔Common Practice
Claims are true or false independent of the consequences of them being true or false. - ✔✔Appeal to
the Consequences of Belief
when fear enters inappropriately into an argument - ✔✔Scare Tactic
when pity enters inappropriately into an argument - ✔✔Appeal to Pity
when an appeal to vanity enters inappropriately into an argument. - ✔✔Apple Polishing
%
When anger or indignation enter inappropriately in an argument. - ✔✔Appeal to Anger/Indignation
"It's ok for me to do it to him/her/them because if the situation were reversed, he would do the same
to me." - ✔✔2 Wrongs Make a Right
Attacking the person making the claim/argument rather than attacking the claim/argument.
Types:
-Circumstantial: Discount a claim b/c its the type of claim someone in that circumstance would claim.
-Personal Attack
-Pseudorefutation: Discounting a claim b/c the person making the claim is a hypocrite.
-Genetic Fallacy: Throwing out the whole system b/c of negative beliefs.
-Poisoning the Well: Cast dispersions on the source of the claim, then claiming that anything from that
source is a lie. - ✔✔Ad Hominem (5 types)
When the burden of proof is inappropriately placed. - ✔✔Fallacy of Burden of Proof
A fallacy that occurs when one sets up an exaggerated or distorted version of an opponent's
argument, one that is easy to knock down.
*Hyperboles often used. - ✔✔Straw Man
stuvia
COMS 145-Pseudoreasoning
Fallacious reasoning where the problem does not involve the form of the argument. Often involves a
problem of relevance. - ✔✔Pseudoreasoning
When one shifts the issue. - ✔✔Red Herring
"_____ must be true because everybody thinks its true" - ✔✔Appeal to Belief
"It's ok for me to do it. Everybody does it." - ✔✔Common Practice
Claims are true or false independent of the consequences of them being true or false. - ✔✔Appeal to
the Consequences of Belief
when fear enters inappropriately into an argument - ✔✔Scare Tactic
when pity enters inappropriately into an argument - ✔✔Appeal to Pity
when an appeal to vanity enters inappropriately into an argument. - ✔✔Apple Polishing
%
When anger or indignation enter inappropriately in an argument. - ✔✔Appeal to Anger/Indignation
"It's ok for me to do it to him/her/them because if the situation were reversed, he would do the same
to me." - ✔✔2 Wrongs Make a Right
Attacking the person making the claim/argument rather than attacking the claim/argument.
Types:
-Circumstantial: Discount a claim b/c its the type of claim someone in that circumstance would claim.
-Personal Attack
-Pseudorefutation: Discounting a claim b/c the person making the claim is a hypocrite.
-Genetic Fallacy: Throwing out the whole system b/c of negative beliefs.
-Poisoning the Well: Cast dispersions on the source of the claim, then claiming that anything from that
source is a lie. - ✔✔Ad Hominem (5 types)
When the burden of proof is inappropriately placed. - ✔✔Fallacy of Burden of Proof
A fallacy that occurs when one sets up an exaggerated or distorted version of an opponent's
argument, one that is easy to knock down.
*Hyperboles often used. - ✔✔Straw Man
stuvia
