Definition:
An error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid. See also:
- Ad Hominem
- Amphiboly
- Appeal to Authority
- Appeal to Force
- Appeal to Ignorance
- Appeal to the People
- Bandwagon
- Circular Argument
- Complex Question
- Equivocation
- False Analogy
- False Dilemma
- Gambler's Fallacy
- Hasty Generalization
- Name-Calling
- Non Sequitur
- Poisoning the Well
- Post Hoc
- Predigested Thinking
- Red Herring
- Slippery Slope
- Straw Man
- Tautology
- Tu Quoque
Etymology:
From the Latin, "deceive"Observations:
- "In logic and the generalized study of reasoning, there are
generally understood to be such things as good reasoning and bad reasoning. Typically, bad reasoning is characterized by falling into one or more of the classically compiled logical fallacies. A logical fallacy is simply a failure of logic. Arguments that are said to be fallacious have gaping holes or misleading leaps in their structure and reasoning."
(J. Meany and K. Shuster, Art, Argument, and Advocacy. IDEA, 2002) - "There's a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons and reasons that sound good."
(Burton Hillis) - "Logical errors are, I think, of greater practical importance than many people believe; they enable their perpetrators to hold the comfortable opinion on every subject in turn."
(Bertrand Russell) - "The theory of fallacy functions at the very heart of good argumentation. A fallacy is so conceived that if an argument exhibits a fallacy, it is probably a bad one, but if the argument exhibits no such violation, it is a good one.
"Fallacies are mistakes in reasoning that do not seem to be mistakes. Indeed, part of the etymology of the word 'fallacy' comes from the notion of deception. Fallacious arguments usually have the deceptive appearance of being good arguments. That perhaps explains why we are so often misled by them."
(T. Edward Damer, Attacking Faulty Reasoning, 2001)
Pronunciation: FAL-eh-see
Also Known As: logical fallacy, informal fallacy
