This document defines and provides examples of various logical fallacies:
- Two wrongs make a right fallacy: Justifying a wrong action by pointing to another similar wrong action. Zidane headbutting an opponent who insulted his sister is given as an example.
- Division fallacy: Concluding that parts of a whole must share the whole's characteristics. Critics assuming an actor will be great due to his family's movie background is given.
- Non sequitur: When premises have no logical connection to the conclusion, like an advertisement linking eyebrow dancing to chocolate.
- Red herring: Introducing an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the original issue.
2. Fallacy Definition : A fallacy is a component of an argument which, being demonstrably flawed in its logic. It can be a formal (Invalid form) or an informal (unclear expression) fallacy.
4. Two Wrongs Make A Right Definition : When one tries to justify an apparently wrong action by charged of a similar wrong.
5. Zinedine Zidane head-butted Markus Materazzi during the FIFA world cup. He justified his actions saying that Materazzi bad-mouthed his sister. Therefore Zidane commited two wrongs make a right fallacy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4iWIE77Ts
6. Division Definition : This fallacy is committed when we conclude that any part of a particular whole must have a characteristic because the whole has that characteristic .
7. Division The fallacy is committed when we conclude that any part of a particular whole must have a characteristic because the whole has that characteristic. Film critics have no doubt that Ranbir Kapoor will be a great actor because of his familys movie background.
8. Non Sequitur Definition: When the premises have no direct relationship to the conclusion. Cadburys Advertisement Non Sequitur : Two children doing eyebrows dance have nothing to do with chocolates. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exMrMcHpPLo
9. Red Herring Definition When an irrelevant issue into the discussion Clinton Campaign. "I am qualified to be president because my husband is Bill Clinton." The fact that her husband is Bill Clinton has no logical connection whatsoever to her personal qualification to the presidency ... it is used to throw people off.
10. Questionable clause Definition The fallacy is committed when the cause for an occurrence is identified on insufficient evidence. This Duplex paints advertisement concludes that one can tell what paint is used inside, based on the exterior of the house. Therefore, it raises the fallacy of questionable clause as one cannot predict the inside scenario based on the external look.
11. False Dilemma Definition: Assumes that we must choose one of the two alternatives instead of allowing for other possibilities. The punch line of the advertisement is creating fallacy as the punch line states that MasterCard exists for everything that can be bought. There are something money cant buy. For everything else there is MASTERCARD.
12. Far Fetched Hypothesis Definition: It is the fallacy of inductive reasoning that is committed when we accept a particular hypothesis when a more acceptable hypothesis is available. Super Man, Bat Man, Spider Man, Krrish etc. are the popular character who fights against the evil and has super natural power. The characters are very much famous throughout the world and is taken as the super hero. However, in reality these are doesnt exist in this world.
13. Attacking the Person Definition Attacking the individual instead of argument. Indian ex-cricket coach Chappell, in an interview to a London based newspaper criticized Ganguly on personal regards rather than on his professional fields. It is the fallacy of attacking the person as the coach directly commented that Ganguly was hungry for money; instead of focusing on cricket issue he is targeting him for other factors.
14. Appeal to Authority Definition: The fallacy tries to convince the listener by appealing to the reputation of a famous or respected personality. This advertisement shows Hrithik Roshan, a Bollywood superstar, endorsing Hero Honda Karizma bike. He may not know anything about the vehicle. But the company is using his superstardom for promoting the vehicle. Hence, this is a fallacy of appeal to authority.
15. Inconsistency Definition: A disclosure in inconsistent of self contradicting if it contains, explicitly or implicitly, two assertions that are logically incompatible with each other. Kareena Kapoor committed the fallacy of INCONSISTENCY in 2002, when she mentioned in TV interview that she believes women should stay at home. This statement is a fallacy as Kareena has a profession; she isnt practicing what she is preaching.
16. False analogy Definition False analogy is an unsound form of inductive argument in which an argument relies heavily on a weak analogy to prove its point.
18. Hasty Generalization Definition This fallacy is committed when a person draws a conclusion about a population based on a sample that is not large enough. In this advertisement they have come to the conclusion that they have done a good job by changing lives of 600,000 managers which is just a small proportion of the total managers in India.