The document discusses logical fallacies, which are faulty reasoning in arguments. It defines several types of logical fallacies: overgeneralization, circular reasoning, false analogy, either/or reasoning, single cause fallacy, and false cause fallacy. For each fallacy, it provides examples to illustrate what constitutes the fallacy and how to avoid it in one's own writing.
1. Logical Fallacies
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A logical fallacy is a statement that contains faulty
reasoning. Don’t give your reader a reason to doubt
your information. Persuasive writing especially
requires sound logic to support opinions.
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2. Logical Fallacies
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What’s wrong with this statement?
Either we raise taxes, or we close the city parks. It’s
that simple.
Click to see an analysis
A logical fallacy is a statement that contains faulty
reasoning. Don’t give your reader a reason to doubt
your information. Persuasive writing especially
requires sound logic to support opinions.
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3. Logical Fallacies
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This statement allows only two options while in fact there
are many alternatives that would allow the parks to remain
open. The statement is too extreme to seem reasonable.
Either we raise taxes, or we close the city parks. It’s
that simple.
A logical fallacy is a statement that contains faulty
reasoning. Don’t give your reader a reason to doubt
your information. Persuasive writing especially
requires sound logic to support opinions.
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4. Common logical fallacies include the following.
Click to choose the fallacy you want to explore.
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Logical Fallacies
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•Overgeneralization
•Circular reasoning
•False analogy
•Either/or reasoning
•Single cause
•False cause
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Logical Fallacies
Overgeneralization
An overgeneralization is a statement so broad that it
can easily be disproved. Look for words like all,
everyone, no one, always, never, none, when you
revise.
What is the overgeneralization in this sentence?
Everyone loves the Weird Cats’ new song.
Click to see the overgeneralization
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7. EXIT
Logical Fallacies
Overgeneralization
An overgeneralization is a statement so broad that it
can easily be disproved. Look for words like all,
everyone, no one, always, never, none, when you
revise.
What is the overgeneralization in this sentence?
Everyone loves the Weird Cats’ new song.
Click to see a revision
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8. EXIT
Logical Fallacies
Overgeneralization
An overgeneralization is a statement so broad that it
can easily be disproved. Look for words like all,
everyone, no one, always, never, none, when you
revise.
Everyone loves the Weird Cats’ new song.
ORIGINAL
Many people love the Weird Cats’ new song.
REVISED
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Logical Fallacies
Click to see the repeated idea
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
What is the repeated idea in this sentence?
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to help threatened wildlife survive.
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Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
What is the repeated idea in this sentence?
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to help threatened wildlife survive.
Continue…
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12. EXIT
Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
How would you revise to avoid this circular reasoning?
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to help threatened wildlife survive.
Click to see a revision
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13. EXIT
Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to help threatened wildlife survive.
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help threatened wildlife survive.
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Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to
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Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
We should protect endangered animals because it is
important to
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maintain the diversity of animal life.
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Logical Fallacies
Circular Reasoning
An attempt to prove a statement by simply repeating
it in different words is circular reasoning.
This revised sentence gives a specific reason why endangered
animals should be protected: to maintain the diversity of
animal life.
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We should protect endangered animals because it is
important tomaintain the diversity of animal life.
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Logical Fallacies
False Analogy
A false analogy is a comparison between two things
that are different in some essential way.
What is wrong with this comparison?
Using a computer without training is like driving a car
without a license.
Click to see an analysis
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Logical Fallacies
False Analogy
A false analogy is a comparison between two things
that are different in some essential way.
This argument compares using a computer with driving a
car. The two activities do not compare in terms of the
consequences of lack of training.
Using a computer without training is like driving a car
without a license.
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Logical Fallacies
Either/Or Reasoning
An either/or fallacy is a statement suggesting that
there are only two possible ways to view a situation
or only two options to choose from.
What other possibilities can you imagine for this example?
Either we build a new airport, or we watch the economy of
our community die.
Click to see an analysis
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Logical Fallacies
Either/Or Reasoning
An either/or fallacy is a statement suggesting that
there are only two possible ways to view a situation
or only two options to choose from.
The economy may not thrive as it would with a new airport, but it
will probably not die.
Either we build a new airport, or we watch the economy
of our community die.
Click to see a revision
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Logical Fallacies
Either/Or Reasoning
An either/or fallacy is a statement suggesting that
there are only two possible ways to view a situation
or only two options to choose from.
Either we build a new airport, or we watch the economy
of our community die.
ORIGINAL
Building a new airport will help our local economy grow.
REVISED
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This revision removes the limited options and presents a more
reasonable statement.
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Logical Fallacies
Single Cause
In a single cause fallacy, the writer assumes that an
event has just one cause when there are actually
multiple causes.
Can you think of other possible reasons why the team might
be terrible?
Our team is terrible because our manager is terrible.
Click to see a revision
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Logical Fallacies
Single Cause
In a single cause fallacy, the writer assumes that an
event has just one cause when there are actually
multiple causes.
Our team is terrible because our manager is terrible.
ORIGINAL
Our team is terrible because our manager is terrible, and too
many of our players lack the skills to compete in this
league.
REVISED
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Logical Fallacies
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False Cause
Just because one event occurred after another in
time, the first event may not have caused the second
event. Don’t let that kind of false cause reasoning
show up in your writing.
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Logical Fallacies
False Cause
Just because one event occurred after another in
time, the first event may not have caused the second
event. Don’t let that kind of false cause reasoning
show up in your writing.
Are these two events actually connected?
The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. As a result, British warships
arrived to attack New York Harbor eight days later.
Click to see an analysis
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Logical Fallacies
False Cause
Just because one event occurred after another in
time, the first event may not have caused the second
event. Don’t let that kind of false cause reasoning
show up in your writing.
Although it’s reasonable to assume the warships were sent
in response to the Declaration of Independence, news of the
event didn’t travel that fast. The ships were underway on
their mission to attack New York well before July 4.
The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. As a result, British warships
arrived to attack New York Harbor eight days later.
Click to see a revision
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Logical Fallacies
False Cause
Just because one event occurred after another in
time, the first event may not have caused the second
event. Don’t let that kind of false cause reasoning
show up in your writing.
The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. As a result, British warships
arrived to attack New York Harbor eight days later.
ORIGINAL
The Continental Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776, but the British had already
decided to attack New York Harbor. The warships arrived on
July 12.
REVISED
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Editor's Notes
GM: I don’t see enough space between to and maintain in “to maintain the diversity . . .”
