Ad Hominem
Attacking your opponent in an attempt to undermine their argument.
Appeal to Authority
Using the opinion of an authority figure or institution, instead of making an argument.
Appeal to Popularity
An attempt to validate an argument by referring to how many people agree with it.
Burden of Proof
Saying that the person making a claim doesn’t have to prove it, but that others must disprove it.
False Dilemma
Two alternatives are presented as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.
Slippery Slope
Asserting that, if X happens, then Y will then happen too, so X shouldn’t be allowed to happen.
Straw Man
Misrepresenting someone’s argument in order to make it easier to attack.
No True Scotsman
Faced with a counter-example that disproves a universal claim, the claim is redefined to exclude the example.
Online Resources:
Logical fallacies are common mistakes in arguments, usually occurring due to a lack of substance and evidence to support a claim. This is commonly found in the academic world, especially in debates, since arguments about specific topics usually occur in this field. As a debater and avid MUN delegate, I have seen these logical fallacies in occurrence multiple times by my opponents or other delegates. The most commonly found fallacies in those events are Slippery Slope, Straw Man, Ad Hominem, Appeal to Authority, and Appeal to Popularity. The reason that these are usually found in debates and MUNs is because they could be used easily to attack the speaker’s opposition or to prove a point, given that the opposition and the audience are not familiar with these fallacies. However, a basic knowledge of these fallacies could help create rebuttals against those false arguments, thus making our stance in the debate greater and proves that the argument given by the speaker is unreasonably simplistic.
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