1. Fallacies

2. What is a fallacy?
A fallacy is a misleading, false, or deception that a person makes
A fallacy can be made accidently or on purpose
There are many types of fallacies (these are just 6 of MANY!)
Slippery slope
Straw man
Red herring
False dichotomy
Hasty Generalization
Ad Hominem

3. Slippery Slope
A fallacy that assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented
It does not allow for any other alternative idea or that it can be stopped at any point
Example: If we allow the students to redo this test, they are going to want to redo every assignment for the rest of the year.

4. Straw man
When a person ignores one actual position, and presents an exaggerated one
Example:
Opposing argument: Bicycle infrastructure should be expanded because cycling is a sustainable mode of transportation
Straw man argument: We should not build bike lanes because cyclists run red lights and endanger pedestrians

5. Red Herring
An irrelevant topic is introduced in an argument to divert the attention or listeners or readers from the original issue.
Example: The mother of a young child tells him to go to bed, and he begins to ask questions, say that he is hungry, or say that he needs to go to the bathroom- all to avoid bed and distract mom

6. False Dichotomy
Argues there are only two options when really there may be many
Example: If you don’t drive this car, you might as well not drive at all

7. Hasty Generalization
 Drawing a conclusion based on a small sample size, rather than looking at statistics that are much more in line with the typical or average situation.
Example: John has dyslexia and is great at math. Therefore people who have dyslexia are great a math.

8. Ad Hominem
Attacking the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, when the attack on the person is completely irrelevant to the argument the person is making.
Example: My opponent suggests that lowering taxes will be a good idea -- this is coming from a woman who eats a pint of Ben and Jerry’s each night!