Logical fallacies

A logical fallacy is an argument that may sound convincing or true but is actually flawed. While they may seem convincing at first, logical fallacies often fall apart under scrutiny. Logical fallacies have long been used in debates to weaken an opponent's argument by pointing out its flaws. As with the development of the internet and the over abundance of information it is important to maintain ones critical analysis skills and be able to find logical fallacies in popular discourse. The most common to look out for include:

• Anecdotal Evidence - easily found data is less trustworthy than robust data.
• Bandwagon - the popularity of an idea has absolutely no bearing on its validity.
• Appeal to Authority - an authority thinks something, it must therefore be true.
• Arrival - people tend to fixate on the destination not the journey.
• Straw Man - misrepresentation of someone's argument to make it easier to attack.
• Lesser known fallacies: False Dilemma, Hasty Generalization, Slothful Induction, Correlation/Causation, Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, Middle Ground Fallacy, Burden of Proof Fallacy, Personal Incredulity, "No True Scotsman", Ad Hominem Fallacy and Tu Quoque.

Figure 1. Prejudice is a more effective means to sway the public than logic.

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Further reading

• Propaganda: by Edward Bernays (1928). ISBN: 978-0970312594
• The Chimp Paradox: Peters, P. S. (2012). Vermilion. ISBN: 978-0091935580