Common Argument Mistakes

These mistakes are called "logical fallacies." Often a person will make an argument that is, in fact, not an argument an all. These fallacies help to identify these fake arguments.

1. Post hoc ergo propter hoc ("after this, therefore because of this"): In this logical fallacy, you assume that a later event was caused by a prior event. You have to prove that the two events are connected; you can't just say that they are. "I started to lose weight after I began to eat all of my meals at 7-11. Therefore, 7-11 food makes you lose weight." <--This is perhaps true, but what if you started running five miles a day the same day that you start to eat at 7-11.

2. Begging the question: Question begging is an assertion disguised as an argument. If I say, "Abortion is wrong because it is murder," you are begging the question because there is no argument. You have a prove that abortion is killing someone; this sounds like an argument, but you are simply stating, instead of proving, the key idea (in this case, murder). The statement simply means, "Abortion is wrong because it is wrong."

3. False dichotomy: If an argument assumes that only A or B can be the correct answer, but it's possibile that C or D is also a correct answer, you are creating a false dichotomy. (Another problem could be that both A and B can be correct at the same time.) For example, regarding the condition of Taiwanese sovereignty, if a person says, "Taiwan can only be a country or a province," one might say this is a false dichotomy because the current state of Taiwan is something else. You could, however, argue that a dichotomy that people assume to be false is in fact real. You could say, "the country/province issue is not a false dichotomy, we must choose one or the other because..." and then make an argument. (You might think of the recent popular song as well, which sets up a false dichotomy of 'types of men': you can either be a "boyfriend" or a "real man." This is a false dichotomy, of course. [All the real men are married English teachers.])

4. Straw man: This is a common tactic in argument. You give a false impression of your opponent's beliefs. This false impression is easy to argue against, so you argue against the "fake" argument, or "straw man," because it is easier to dismiss than your opponent's real argument.

5. Argument ad hominem. Instead of arguing with your opponent, call him or her names, then pretend that the name calling means that you won the argument. It works depressingly well.

What to do with these fallacies:

Look for them in arguments; avoid using them yourself.