What's your favourite logical fallacy?

Question

Look at these:

"If (religious figure) said it was so, it is so." - ad verecundiam

"Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian. Adolf Hitler was evil. Therefore vegetarianism must be evil." - Guilt by association

"Thomas Jefferson argued that slavery was wrong and should be abolished, but since Jefferson himself owned slaves, it clearly was not wrong." - ad hominem

"Believe in God or burn in Hell." - ad metam

"It hasn't been proved true, so it must be false." - ad ignorantiam

"Most Americans hold that the Vietnam War was morally wrong. Therefore, the Vietnam War was morally wrong." - ad numerum

"Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!" - Chewbacca Defence

*For more logical fallacies, examples and details, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring*

All these arguments have been proven wrong, and all of these are often used by the people here.

So, which is your fave? :P

Answer 1

Bill: "I believe that abortion is morally wrong."
Dave: "Of course you would say that, you're a priest."
Bill: "What about the arguments I gave to support my position?"
Dave: "Those don't count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is wrong. Further, you are just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say."


Of course there is nothing wrong with drinking. Ask anyone, he'll tell you that he thinks drinking is just fine.

''Homosexuals must not be allowed to hold government office. Hence any government official who is revealed to be a homosexual will lose his job. Therefore homosexuals will do anything to hide their secret, and will be open to blackmail. Therefore homosexuals cannot be allowed to hold government office."

"Jim Bakker was an insincere Christian. Therefore all Christians are insincere."

"Christians generally dislike atheists. You are a Christian, so you must dislike atheists."

"I believe it is always wrong to oppose the law by breaking it."

"Of course homosexuality is unnatural. When's the last time you saw two animals of the same sex mating?"

"I took an aspirin and prayed to God, and my headache disappeared. So God cured me of the headache."

Answer 2

The well-known trifurcation fallacy which is also an argumentum ad verecundiam.

"Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or a lord. Since he had some good teachings he wasn't a lunatic or a liar, so he must be right when he claims he was god, therefore he has to be lord. And since CS Lewis argued this, it must be right".

Answer 3

I don't get it..... :S

Edit: Ohhhh

I go with

"Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!"

My poor hairy friend.

Answer 4

The Adolf Hitler one!

Answer 5

I disagree that Adolf Hitler was evil. That's how spoilt kids talk about their parents who try to rein them in a bit.

It was Dr Mengele, Himmler et al. who positioned themselves where they wouldn't have to wear the full brunt of dealing with rude army boys, but they could do their dastardly deeds behind smooth lines.

Answer 6

Loki's Wager

Answer 7

Here's my absolute favorite of all time:

Empirical evidence is the only evidence that should be accepted!!

(And yet, that statement above CANNOT be proven empirically, get it??)

Have a cookie, fudge brownie chunk, made 'um myself.

Answer 8

I am amused by this one which I see a lot- "I disagree with Hilary Clinton because she has fat thighs" - (Argumentum ad cellulitum).

Answer 9

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

Answer 10

My favorite is Composition:
"Why do Christians believe in hell?" "Why do Christians reject evolution?" "Why do Christians kill non-Christians?" etc.

A close runner-up is Bifurcation:
"Either God is evil and kills babies, or he doesn't exist." "Either God is a personal, rational being, or he is not God."