Fallacies are simply false arguments that can be superficially persuasive. They may be accidental or intentional, but ultimately they express errors in logic and damage an argument. Some common fallacies follow:

Circular Reasoning: Simply repeating a claim in different words as support for that claim.

Confusing Chronology with Causality: Assuming that because one thing preceded another, the former caused the latter.

Either/or Reasoning: Assuming that there are only two sides to a question, and representing yours as the only correct one. Often a writer will only respond to one group of counter-arguments, rather than considering them all.

Equivocating: Misleading or hedging with ambiguous word choices.

Failing to accept the burden of proof: Asserting a claim without presenting a reasoned argument to support it.

False analogy: Assuming that because one thing resembles another, conclusions drawn from one also apply to the other.

Overreliance on authority: Assuming that something is true simply because an expert says so and ignoring evidence to the contrary. Often occurs when a writer depends on only one expert or piece of evidence to support his or her claim.

Hasty Generalization: Offering only weak or limited evidence to support a conclusion.

Oversimplifying: Giving easy answers to complicated questions, often by appealing to emotions rather than logic.

Personal attack: Demeaning the proponents of a claim instead of their argument.

Red herring: Attempting to misdirect the discussion by raising an essentially unrelated point.

Slanting: Selecting or emphasizing the evidence that supports your claim and suppressing or playing down contrary evidence.

Slippery slope: Pretending that one thing inevitably leads to another.

Sob story: Manipulating a readers’ emotions in order to lead them to draw unjustified conclusions.

Straw man: Directing the argument against a claim that nobody actually holds or that everyone agrees is very weak