There are four types of fallacies covered in the critical reasoning assignment.
- Fallacy of Generalizing from Incomplete Information (inductive)
- Fallacy of Overlooking Alternatives (inductive)
- Fallacy of Affirming the Consequent (deductive)
- Fallacy of Denying the Antecedent (deductive)
You can find examples of these fallacies on a website, in a newspaper, or in a magazine, or on social media.
Tips
- Make sure you understand the definitions of each of these fallacy types.
- Be on the lookout for dramatic claims -- or statements that seem too good to be true.
- Keep an eye out for scientific-sounding language that is not backed up by data or specific sources.
- Consider what types of sources might be less rigorous about the application of sound logic (see the evaluating sources page of this guide).
- Consider what categories of authors are more likely to rely on faulty logic to persuade.
