Logical fallacies and 4 common modes of writing
American Literature EOCT Review
Logical fallacies are…
Illogical arguments Used to persuade
listeners/consumers to feel a certain way or do something
Comprised of over exaggerations, scare tactics, and/or emotional appeals
A way advertisers can try to manipulate consumers
What is a logical fallacy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWGiOuzpe4
Why should we know about them? They are EVERYWHERE: in tv and radio
commercials, print ads, television shows, movies, political speeches and ads
They have been used for centuries: everything from speeches in Julius Caesar to ads from the 1800’s to commercials today
We can avoid logical fallacies in our own writing and detect them in the writing of others
Knowledge of logical fallacies empowers us to be educated consumers in society.
Faulty reasoning
Circular reasoning: Trying to prove a statement by repeating it in different words “Antibiotics are being overused because
people take them too often.”
Cause-and-effect fallacy: Falsely assuming that because one event follows another, the first event caused the second: “If we don’t make laws limiting tattoos, there
will be more and more gang members.
Faulty reasoning
Either-or fallacy: Stating that there are only two alternatives when there are many “If we don’t set limits on prescribing
antibiotics, we will face worldwide epidemics caused by untreatable super microbes.”
Bandwagon: Everyone else is doing it so why not you? “Millions of people have switched to
[insert brand name here].”
Types of logical fallacies Testimonial: Using a “true” story to
convince the reader. “If it could happen to me…”
Card stacking: Only positive information is presented, without any contradictory or negative information. Nicotine has been shown to lower
incidences of Alzheimer’s disease, can boost the growth of new blood vessels, and may even reduce depression.
Faulty reasoning
Stereotyping: creates a simplified picture of a complex situation, individual, or group.
Rhetorical questions: Asks questions for which no answer is needed, to try to force the reader/listener to agree. “Are you tired of trash bags that rip
and tear?”
Examples
Cause-and-effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SEGbRy5mIw&feature=autoplay&list=PLA88D7CD8A8A54AEA&index=4&playnext=3
Examples
Either/or, bandwagon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2y_GwKzxck Bandwagon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvCTaccEkMI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02vku-6fZWQ
Examples
Cause-effecthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge8aZqgxV7Q&NR=1
Testimonial, beautiful peoplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLPltgIhZrI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ1_CQD1jS8
Examples
Card stacking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWTcVHdSFo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl22YOOCreE
Stereotyping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCA_d5qEF1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L72rATeYN98
Examples
Rhetorical questions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXHUdvvHTkw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ide9dgoZkk
Four common types of writing
Narration: tells a story (fiction or nonfiction), usually has a plot, climax, and resolution
Descriptive: describes a person, place, or setting
Persuasion: attempts to influence the readers thoughts (here’s where logical fallacies come in)
Exposition: explains something (like an encyclopedia article)
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