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fallacy

Also known as false argument, false notion, misbelief

A fallacy is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning in the construction of an argument that may appear to be well-reasoned if unnoticed. The term was introduced in the Western intellectual tradition by the Aristotelian De Sophisticis Elenchis.

AI overview

A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning that makes an argument invalid or faulty, even though it might seem convincing at first glance. Understanding fallacies matters because recognizing them helps you evaluate arguments critically and avoid being misled by flawed logic.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Logical Fallacies Fallacy Icon.png

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Commons category: Logical fallacies
Stack Exchange tag: philosophy.stackexchange.com/tags/fallacies

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~26 min read

Article

30 sections

Contents

Overview
Systems of classification
Greek logic
Indian logic
Whately's grouping
Other systems of classification
Formal fallacy
Common examples
Ecological fallacy
Observational interpretation fallacy
Fallacy fork
Informal fallacy
Faulty generalization
Hasty generalization
Relevance fallacy
Argument from silence
Examples of informal fallacies
''Post hoc'' (false cause)
Slippery slope
False analogy
Straw man fallacy
Measurement fallacy
Knowledge value measurement fallacy
Intentional fallacy
Assessment: pragmatic theory
See also
References
Further reading
Historical texts
External links

Fallacies in reasoning may be invoked intentionally to manipulate or persuade by deception, unintentionally because of human limitations such as carelessness, cognitive or social biases and ignorance, or potentially due to the limitations of language and understanding of language. These delineations include not only the ignorance of the right reasoning standard but also the ignorance of relevant properties of the context. For instance, the soundness of legal arguments depends on the context in which they are made.