Create an example of your favorite fallacy and win $40.00!
Jenny: You shouldn’t buy that car with your credit card!
Bert: Oh, it’s okay. My uncle says it’s actually good to run up a bunch of credit card debt. He says it helps my credit rating. He’s smart . . . he works for NASA.
Jenny: Uh, NASA?
Bert: Oh, he knows about money. He’s been through bankruptcy court several times.
Send your example fallacy to us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) before December 24th and we’ll pick our three favorite examples. The winners will each receive a $40.00 Amazon.com gift certificate.
(a) We will accept photographs, drawings (like a cartoon), graphic design (like an advertisement), videos, or written examples. (b) Your submission must only contain your original work, or work that you have the right to use - no copyrighted photographs or music or other media. (c) If you submit a video, it must be on the YouTube.com web site. (d) By submitting an example you give us permission to use that example on our web site. (e) You should include the name of the fallacy(s) to make it easier for us to figure out!
We will judge each example fallacy on whether it is an (1) accurate and (2) clear example of that fallacy, whether it is (3) original and (4) memorable. We prefer examples from ordinary life because these show creativity. (Political examples are too easy.) We like humor, but serious examples are good too.
The deadline is December 24th - send your examples soon!
Copyright December 09, 2009, all rights reserved. 24661 views
1 • Aaron Reid • December 10, 2009 • 8:24 PM
I was told to post my fallacy on this website, at this URL, so….here you go:
Jeffrey: So, what leads you to believe that there is no god?
Simon: Well, I think it’s just really stupid to believe in god!
Jeffrey: Umm…..that isn’t a very good explanation. As a matter of fact, you didn’t even give me an explanation as to why you don’t believe in God (circular reasoning). Why do you think that God is so dumb, anyway?
Simon: BECAUSE! Believing that there’s a god that keeps the world running is less than scientific.
Jeffrey: Actually, it’s Christianity that helped modern science get where it is today. Also, God had a logical and scientific mindset when creating the universe. Don’t you think Christianity’s a bit scientific?
Simon: How could Christianity be scientific if God exists? Seriousely, give one example of when you’ve actually seen God! ( Appeal to Ignorance)
Jeffrey: I can’t say that I’ve ever seen God, but does that mean that He doesn’t exist?
Simon: YES! (there’s that Begging Question again)
Jeffrey: No, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t exist. It just means that it’s harder to prove!
Simon: You’re only sticking up for God because you’ve grown up in a Christian home! ( Ad Hominem Circumstantial)
Jeffrey: What’s the point of debating with you if you’re just going to mess up the debate…..
2 • Matt • December 10, 2009 • 8:38 PM
The Fallacy of Equivocation
[1] Putting money in a bank is a good way to save money.
[2] A bank is a sandy part next to a river.
Therefore,
[3] Putting money in the sandy part next to a river is a good way to save money.
Matthew Flannagan
3 • Kristen B. • December 10, 2009 • 10:29 PM
Here is my entry, with explanations:
Why Artistic Harps are the World’s Best Harps—
Artistic Harps is the most famous harp maker in the world.
From Chicago, Illinois, the heart of America, Artistic Harps has designed the world’s most beautiful harps since 1895. [Propaganda/Transfer: sounds nice but the harps could be manufactured in a country other than America.] Thousands of musicians agree the harps’ beautiful styles and responsive sound are the most excellent in history. [Faulty appeal to authority – not all musicians are harp experts.]
The harp’s nature makes it important to be created from the highest quality material from the beginning of production to the showroom.
An instrument of poor quality materials would be a horrible disappointment due to cracking soundboards, discoloration, buzzing,
mechanism malfunctions and other horrors. [Part-to-whole. Good materials does not equal a good finished product.
Assumptions: Artistic Harps uses the highest quality materials. ] An Artistic harp will never disappoint. [Assumptions: a) All their harps are perfect. b) Any harpist will love them. Appeal to fear: Other brands might fall apart and break your heart.]
I am a harpist [Faulty appeal to authority. I might only be an expert on homemade cardboard harps.] and I know all harpists agree [Appeal to people, Generalization] that
an Artistic harp is the best investment. Join us as we keep the tradition alive. [Propaganda/Bandwagon]
**Artistic Harps is a hypothetical company.
4 • Austen Kaul • December 14, 2009 • 3:49 PM
Jenny: That’s a circle
Bert: How do you know
Jenny: Because it looks round
[circular reasoning]
Bully: You’ll never make the baseball team you can’t even hit a house with a bat
Kid: You try hitting a house with something that has wings
[equivocation]
5 • CJ Lechner • December 15, 2009 • 4:47 PM
Slippery Slope (My Favorite!)
John: “I don’t want to go to work today honey.”
Jane: “WHAT! You do realize that if you don’t go to work than that is that much less money that you make! And if you don’t make enough money, than we will run out of funds and starve. After this happens our children with begin getting sick, we will have to take them to the hospital, which means that your healthcare plan will have to pay for it. This means that the insurance company will have to pay the hospital bills, and that could make the insurance company go out of business and will cause national panic. Rates will be raised and everybody will begin going into a state of confusion.
Then Al Qaeda will capitalize on our lowered defenses long enough to fire rockets into our country from Iraq. Then we will be forced to send nuclear strikes into Iraq to drive the terrorists out. This will make Iraq’s government mad at us and they will declare war on us. Then Palestinian countries will band together to attack us, which means that the rest of the world will have to take sides and the entire world will end up destroyed in a million tiny pieces!”
John: “... Uh… suuuuuuure”
6 • Elizabeth Hunt • December 15, 2009 • 6:03 PM
Mike was invited to a party on saterday, he begged his mom to let him go, “mom!” make said, “I HAVE to go to the party this saterday.”
“why to you ‘have’ to go?” he mother queried.
“because,” he replied, “all the cool guys are doing it.”
“haven’t you been paying attention, that is a bandwagon fallacy. just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean you need to as well.” his mother stated. mike didn’t get to go to the party.
(mike and his mother are imaginary characters.)
7 • tony • December 15, 2009 • 6:24 PM
these are fun!!
8 • Zoe and Madeline Shell • December 16, 2009 • 2:11 PM
The Fallacy of Equivocation
At the championship boxing match…
Coach: I want you to keep taking punches!
Team Playa: No Prob!
Later…
Mom: Honey, what are you doing?
Team Playa: Coach said to take
more punches. *groan*
9 • Hannah M. • December 17, 2009 • 5:10 PM
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_-1LNYvMjNtQ/Syqrqx3s7_I/AAAAAAABAvE/Go3UIiDjz28/s400/Hannah
Hannah M.
10 • Nikolas K. • December 19, 2009 • 2:28 PM
Nikolas- Age 10
(from a commercial)
Head on! apply directly to the forehead!
Head on! apply directly to the forehead!
Head on! apply directly to the
forehead!
This is an example of repetition
(we STILL don’t know WHAT head on does!!!)
11 • Chloe K • December 19, 2009 • 2:30 PM
Chloe- age 8
Join the 1,000 accounts a day that use E-Trade!
(bandwagon)
12 • Tim Correll • December 21, 2009 • 5:59 PM
This is an example of a Straw Man Fallacy
Prosecuting attorney: so you killed that man?
Defendant: yes, but he was pointing a gun at me and threatening to kill me!
Prosecuting attorney: Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we can clearly see that this man unmercifully slaughtered a fellow man in cold blood!
13 • Elena Grissom • December 22, 2009 • 2:59 AM
Mr. Smith: If you knew a book contained some content that you consider inappropriate, do you think the book could still have value?
Elena: The book might still have value, yet I would prefer not to read it. It could pollute my mind and create images that can’t be erased.
Mr. Smith: So this means you agree with the Communist Chinese government censoring all information its citizens are exposed to.
Straw Man Fallacy. Mr. Smith committed this fallacy when he ignored my actual position and substituted it with a distorted, exaggerated and misrepresented version of my position.
** This conversation actually took place in my 10th grade English class in school this year.
14 • Matches Malone • December 22, 2009 • 11:53 AM
The Transitive Property of Sports Competition;
The Lakers beat the Magic.
The Magic beat the Celtics.
Therefore, the Lakers will beat the Celtics.
Not quite clear what this one is called, actually 😊
15 • Christine Prescott • December 22, 2009 • 12:06 PM
My favorite and, sadly, true fallacy is:
We fired our pastor because we didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
16 • Charlotte • December 22, 2009 • 5:46 PM
This is my entry!
Why Diddles are the BEST!!!
Diddles- they play music, movies, games and they come in fourteen
different colors! [Red Herring Fallacy-what colors Diddles come in
doesn’t influence their performance] Dr. Philips, a world famous
physic scientist who has three Master’s Degrees and wrote ten award-
winning books on physics, says, “Diddles are a phenomenal new
product.” [Faulty Appeal to Authority Fallacy- just because Dr.
Philips knows about physics doesn’t mean he knows much about
Diddles] 83% of Americans say Diddles are their favorite product!
[Faulty Appeal to the People Fallacy- Just because 83% of Americans
like Diddles doesn’t mean that Diddles are any good] Diddles are
only made with the finest materials, for premium quality! [Part-to-
Whole Fallacy- Just because they’re made with good materials doesn’t
mean they’re any good] Diddles are the new American thing! So either
you’re a true American with a Diddle, or you’re a fake! [Either-Or
Fallacy- Diddles don’t make Americans. What if you’re a Canadian
with a Diddle?] Nine out of ten people have had higher I.Q. scores
since they bought their Diddle! [Post-Hoc-Ergo-Propter-Hoc Fallacy-
Maybe those nine people also started reading the classics, which
boosted their I.Q.] You can’t prove that a Diddle is bad for you!
[Proof-By-Lack-Of-Evidence Fallacy- Just because you can’t prove it,
doesn’t mean it’s not true!] 99% of Americans have one! [Bandwagon
Fallacy- So? That doesn’t mean YOU need one!] So hurry! Buy your
Diddle why they’re all the rage! [Exigency- they want you to buy it
quickly so they get more money] Don’t be like the poor fools without
a Diddle! Set trends, don’t follow them! [Snob Appeal- Who says
you’re a fool if you don’t have a Diddle? And aren’t you following
trends if you buy a Diddle?] Diddles-the latest technology! [Appeal
to High-Tech- Just because they’re the latest, doesn’t mean they’re
the best]
17 • Michael Rothermel • December 22, 2009 • 9:16 PM
Red Herring (one of my favorites!):
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_-1LNYvMjNtQ/SzJDu-tVkrI/AAAAAAABAxg/gIaVyK-NpfI/s400/redherringbears.png
18 • Elyssa Warren, age 12 • December 23, 2009 • 4:33 PM
Door-to-door Salesman: ...and so, ma’am, you should buy our internet
connection! It uses phemonogizing particles to connect you with the world! Don’t get left behind in the age of paper mail!
Appeal to High-tech
19 • Emily Warren, age 13 • December 23, 2009 • 4:51 PM
This actually happened to us!
Verizon Saleswoman: We are installing FIOS in your nieghborhood this week and we are scheduling appointments for people so we can install it. When can I schedule an appointment for you?
Loaded Question
20 • Bria Warren, age 11 • December 23, 2009 • 5:13 PM
Lindsey: But Mo-o-o-m! If you don’t buy this King Charles Cavelier puppy, then the sale at the Awesome Pet Emporium will end! Our- I mean, your, chances will be gone! (exigency- all chances will be gone!)
Mom: Lindsey, this is the fourth time I’ve talked to you about this. You could keep this nice clean house and lots of free time, or you could spend every spare minute taking care of a dog. (either-or) You’d have to pick up after him, fill his food and water bowls, brush him, bathe him,- you’d basically lose your life! Do you really want that? (straw man- this and this and this and this, etc.) Could you just stick with your goldfish?
21 • Winter Warren, age 8 • December 23, 2009 • 5:48 PM
Dryer Salesman: Hello my name is Mark. Lon:Hello Mark, my name is Lon.
Salesman: You’d better get a dryer before we close up for Christmas!
Exigency
22 • Stephy Norris • December 23, 2009 • 10:18 PM
Here is my entry, I hope this is where I was supposed to post this:
Spokeswoman: Our NEW LushLash Mascara infused with olive oil and shea butter is the best thing! Ask Brooke Shields! (faulty appeal to authority) She says it is the best NEW product! Don’t get left behind with old clumping mascara that isn’t NEW!(appeal to hi-tech) LushLash is so NEW you will jump for joy when you use it! Only the best and most beautiful women use this NEW (repetition)LushLash formula!(snob appeal)
23 • Grace • December 24, 2009 • 11:59 AM
This is our submission to the contest 😊
24 • Hans Bluedorn • December 25, 2009 • 11:37 AM
Hello everybody.
It’s official, comments 5, 8 and 17 have won the contest. We thought their submissions were very creative and funny.
Thanks everybody for contributing.
Hans
25 • Victoria • December 26, 2009 • 6:16 PM
Genus: Lack Of Clarity
Fallacy: Distinction Without A Difference
Two little sisters are playing a board game. They are talking to each other with animated voices when an argument strickes up over bragging rights…
Miny- Ah ha! I have a dollor more than you do so I am better.
Jan- No. You should not be bragging, besides I am better because I have more change than you do. So there.
Victoria
26 • Paul • February 06, 2010 • 5:19 PM
The Post-mortem Fallacy (argument from the grave).
“If George Washington were alive today, he would not support the wars in the Middle East.”
Since this person if not alive and never specifically mentioned the topic being discussed, it is impossible to know what the person would have said about the topic.