This document defines logical fallacies and provides examples. It explains that a logical fallacy is poor or incorrect reasoning that can weaken an argument. Some examples of logical fallacies given are ad hominem (personal attacks), bandwagon (appealing to popularity), black or white (false dichotomy), card stacking (selective omission of information), slippery slope, part-whole, and non sequitur. The document encourages identifying logical fallacies in opponents' arguments and avoiding them in one's own arguments. It concludes with an activity where students will practice identifying logical fallacies in short speeches.

1. Critical Thinking Skills and
Logical Fallacies
Getting to Know Logical Fallacies

2. What is a fallacy?
Definition:
A misconception resulting from
incorrect reasoning

3. What is a logical fallacy
and why should you care?
• It’s poor logic partly consisting of over-
generalizations and assumptions.
• The presence of logical fallacies may weaken
a writing project. When you’re developing
an argument, your points should follow in
logical order and make proper
conclusions.
• When you are refuting a counter-argument, it
is useful to point out logical fallacies as
weak points in your opponent’s argument.

4. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Ad hominem: argument switches to
character attacks in a personal way.
• Eg: The Nazis believed that since Albert
Einstein was a Jew, his theory of
relativity was therefore wrong.

5. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Bandwagon: recommends a course of
action just because “everyone else” is
doing it.
• If most HCIS pupils sleep in class,
sleeping in class must be the right
behaviour rather than paying attention.

6. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Black or White fallacy : Arguments
that assume there are only two options
to his arguments when in fact there are
more.
• Eg – If I fall in love, I will get hurt. So, to
prevent myself from getting hurt, I
cannot fall in love.

7. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Card Stacking : Arguments in which certain
information is deliberately omitted so as to
make one side appear more favourable.
• Eg – Brand X of detergent is more
economical than that of Brand Y because it is
cheaper. (Information omitted: that for Brand
X to be as effective as Brand Y, twice the
amount must be used.)

8. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Slippery Slope : Arguments that state
that an event must inevitably follow from
another without any argument for the
inevitability of the event in question.
• Eg – We must stop the government
from banning the sale of chewing gum.
Once they start, the next thing you
know, they will ban all forms of sweets.

9. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Part-Whole fallacies : Arguments that
assume that whatever is true of the
whole is also true of all its parts, and
vice-versa.
• Eg – Since graduates from Harvard are
known to be brilliant thinkers, all
graduates from Harvard are brilliant
thinkers.)

10. Logical Fallacies: Several
Examples
• Non sequitor (irrelevant reasoning):
reasoning doesn’t hold together,
"doesn't follow”.
• Eg – The company should require all its
female employees to wear skirts
because it is important that the
company projects a professional image.

11. Identify the Logical Fallacy
• “My opponent’s arguments are very
impressive, but remember, this is the
man who deserted his faithful wife
and family after he had won his first
political victory.”
- AD HOMINEM

12. Summary
• A logical fallacy is simply poor logic.
• The presence of logical fallacies may
weaken a writing project.
• It is often useful to point out logical
fallacies as weak points in your
opponent’s argument.
• Logical fallacies are usually forms of
inaccurate assumptions, bias, jumps in
thought, and overgeneralizations.

13. PRACTICE
• Prepare a speech on any topic
• Include at least three logical fallacies
in them
• Your classmates will listen to your
speech and identify the fallacies
• Your speech should be about 2-3
minutes only!