Fallacies

The following are false arguments often made when writers or speakers fail to have enough evidence to support their claims.

	False Authority (ad hominem) Bases claims on the "who" rather than the "what". Just because a person is famous or an authority in one area doesn't mean she/he is qualified in all areas.
	Bandwagon Supports claims simply because others have. The majority rules but it is not always correct.
	Begging the Question

Treats a questionable statement as if it has already been accepted.

	False Analogy False claim that because two things are alike in one way are similar in other ways.
	False Cause (post hoc, ergo propter hoc) Assumes that because one event happens after another that the first is the cause of the second.
	False Dilemma (either/or) Presents situation as either one possibility or the other without the possibility of other alternatives.
	Does Not Follow (non sequitur) A conclusion that does not follow from its premise.
	Oversimplification Reduces complex to overly simple.
	Slippery Slope Assumes that if an action or event is allowed to occur, it will lead to more extreme actions or events.
	Tautology Use of language structures to get acceptance of your argument from others. This is often in the form "Too much of X is bad", therefore X of itself is good.
	Technical language Deliberate use of jargon intended to impress the reader and/or hide the lack of foundation to an argument.
	Special pleading Claiming a special case to raise your argument above other similar positions. This is often associated with the use of emotive language.
	Playing on the reader Telling readers what they want to hear rather than challenging their thinking or assumptions. For alternate explanations see: http://www.intrepidsoftware.com/fallacy/toc.htm http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/ http://www.cuyamaca.net/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/fallacies_grid.asp For practice: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_fallaciesEX1.html