1. Da Straw Man! Dalton Stephens Nick Cairo

2. What is Straw Man? The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position. This sort of "reasoning" has the following pattern: The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position. This sort of "reasoning" has the following pattern: Person A has position X. Person A has position X. Person B presents position Y (which is a distorted version of X). Person B presents position Y (which is a distorted version of X). Person B attacks position Y. Person B attacks position Y. Therefore X is false/incorrect/flawed. Therefore X is false/incorrect/flawed. This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because attacking a distorted version of a position simply does not constitute an attack on the position itself. One might as well expect an attack on a poor drawing of a person to hurt the person. This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because attacking a distorted version of a position simply does not constitute an attack on the position itself. One might as well expect an attack on a poor drawing of a person to hurt the person.

3. Universal Example 1 Person A: The Government should legalize drugs. Person A: The Government should legalize drugs. Person B: But Drug users are criminals Person B: But Drug users are criminals Person B is oversimplifying the legalization of drugs by saying they are criminals when the Government makes them criminals.

4. Universal Example 2 Person A: Why can’t we have outside drinks in school? Person A: Why can’t we have outside drinks in school? Person B: Because everybody will be sneaking in alcohol. Person B: Because everybody will be sneaking in alcohol. Person B is oversimplifying the argument of outside drinks by saying that all students will bring alcohol into the school when many of the students won’t.

5. Example

6. Example This picture explains how the Straw Man fallacy is constructed and what it is used for.

7. Video Example straw man straw man straw man straw man

8. Example Act-3 p. 216: Act-3 p. 216: Danforth: Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself, granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims-and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. Danforth is oversimplifying the argument of witch accusations by saying that only the victims and the witch can testify. Danforth is oversimplifying the argument of witch accusations by saying that only the victims and the witch can testify.

9. ‘Nother example Act-3 p. 220: Act-3 p. 220: Proctor: How do you call Heaven! Whore! Whore! When Abigail is testifying, John accuses her of being a whore in an attempt to discredit her, saying that she cant possibly be telling the truth since she is a whore. When Abigail is testifying, John accuses her of being a whore in an attempt to discredit her, saying that she cant possibly be telling the truth since she is a whore.

10. Citations “Exposure and Vulnerability.” Web log post. All Things Wildly Considered. Blogspot, 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2012 “Exposure and Vulnerability.” Web log post. All Things Wildly Considered. Blogspot, 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2012 “Fallacy: Straw Man.” Web page. The Nizkor Project. Web. 16 Feb. 2012 “Fallacy: Straw Man.” Web page. The Nizkor Project. Web. 16 Feb. 2012 “ “Straw Man and Ad Hominem Fallacies.” youtube.com. Youtube, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2012.