20 Most Common Logical Fallacies 

A video that every one needs to see for both Making good arguements and spotting bad arguments.

The thing that sucks is that it's incredibly hard not to cherry pick. We have limited time, so we can only analyse so much evidence. Also, in my experience, logical fallacies are misidentified almost as often as they're committed. I think you know this, since you point out what isn't a fallacy on multiple occasions, but I feel like it's worth reiterating.

I see myself in a lot of these. Thanks to you I can now really improve myself and have even more fallacies!

I came here on a RU-vid recommendation, after watching [31 logical fallacies in 8 minutes] by Jill Bearup. Both are very informative. I see people using these all the time online, mainly in forums and politics, and have probably committed some, myself. Together, these videos should help me spot the fallacies more effectively, and improve my debate/discussion skills.

I’ve also heard 9 called the Texas sharpshooter argument. Using only a portion of a quote or article because that exact part supports your argument but ignoring the rest of the article because it refutes your point.

I appreciated the slippery slope fallacy being illustrated with a warning about falling on ice.

Oh wow! Thank you so much for a solid list and explanation of logical fallacies. Not too long, and not too short

I needed exactly this video today for personal reasons, I am SO GLAD I found it, and I am now a loyal fan of your content and will be watching more to learn. This is so digestible and so well put together, and EXACTLY what I needed, thank you SO MUCH for making it 🙌🙌

I find it fascinating to see that both political left and right, both religious and atheïst, both educated and uneducated are guilty of these fallacies.

Good video. I'm sure that Dr. Lepojarvi would say that this is just a brief introduction to thinking about logial fallacies. I really enjoy something like this that stimulates the mind. One conclusion I draw from the video + my own experience: they often come together in twos or threes. Appeal to emotion is most often in the mix. I think that the ones I encounter most often are cherrypicking and whataboutism.

I think in America appealing to common belief is very common because of our cultural obsession with “success” and it being measured in certain ways. Having lots of money means you earned it, lots of people believing something means it’s right.

"the bank is not open because it is closed" i love this one.

Just remember this logic will get you the truth but rhetoric will win the day

Very very informative and thorough work. Sharing this on social media. Love to learn about fallacies...

Very interesting, thanks for explaining

Great presentation. No matter how hard most of us try, we all slip up at times: enter the fallacy. I use your list to evaluate my own work. More than half the time, a logical fallacy finds its way into my speeches and writings.

Starts at 7:06

Thanks. Added to my playlist. :)

Logical fallacies are often used to shutdown legitimate concerns. There’s definitely a bias towards being open to possibilities over being cautious.

Absolutely well done.

This is one of the best videos ever. Reminds me a lot of David Tomasi. Thank you, Dr. Lepojärvi.

Amazing video!

Argumentum ad Offendum! Haha, sounds legit! I will learn Latin one day ;)

trying to learn all those. Thank you Dr Leopjaervi.

This is wonderful. Unfortunately I never learned this in school (hindsight is 20/20). When I finally looked for the information the first few videos were political debates and the examples contained. The sad part is that the videos were only a couple minutes long. It doesn't matter what your views are, it takes more than a couple minutes to explain the concepts

ever sinds i have been lesrning about logical fallacies. it has become very clear how common these are. and how often people reach wrong and even bad conclusions. it has taught me how incredibly important and handy it is to learn these

Thank you so much! This will definitely come in handy for my paralegal studies🙌

You've got a nice little touch of humour to your presentation.

RU-vid needs a "just make it louder" option where quality goes pit the window and you can boost the volume UNTIL YOU CAN CLEARLY HEAR IT

Thanks a lot for this very relevant video clip. STEM subjects are more appealing to me because of logic and argumentation topics like this. In cases of emergency, matters of life and death, it would take a skilled debater to come up with sound conclusion and appropriate action from fast and correct judgment. Difficult to be careful and quick.

People should take a long look at #8. This is one of the most misunderstood and misused phrases in the american lexicon. And it makes one sound extremely stupid when used in the wrong way. But we hear politicians, newscasters and other, supposedly educated, professionals using it incorrectly every day.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you so much 🙋

I know of an example of an unfalsifiability fallacy that I came across and I finally know the name now. There is a channel out there that suggests old metronome markings for classical music was meant to be read at half the tempo, and when presented with evidence to the contrary, the channel found another piece of supposed evidence that suggests the word "minute" can mean 2 minutes that context, but this makes their claim unfalsifiable.

I KNEW you were going to use the Bible for the example of circular logic. I've been countering that argument with those same words for decades. They don't get it.

16:00f The examples to the _appeal to law_ fallacy are all things which are morally wrong but still legal. I'd like also the other way around being mentioned.

I enjoyed this.

I thank you for your video. And I agree with your analogy that intellectual virtues are congruent with physical virtues as well as what you would consider spiritual or emotional virtues of the higher mind. For example you one could argue that courage is the intellectual or spiritual virtue congruent to the physical body as strength or might. Where charity and love which are synonymous are the spiritual virtues would be congruent with the physical virtue of being flexible flexibility in able to stretch and encompass and reach. My studies have virtues have led me to nine virtues. And I was wondering what you thought further on those points or what your list of virtues are?

thank you

What I learned from this: 20 Logical Fallacies OP is a Tolkien Fan.

definitely learned some new words in this

Excellent presentation, thanks. A couple comments... I think "what aboutism" that claims hypocrisy is really the tu Quoque fallacy (you too) when you turn it against the person rather than addressing the argument. Example "lying is wrong" - "well you said you couldn't come to the baby shower but you were free that day" I think the other example is really Red Herring (changing the subject to something unrelated) isn't Reductio Ad Hitlerum just a specific example of False Comparison?

Probably should add: if it has a latin name or other fancy-sounding stuff, it's probably true. Nope, just gotta analyse it, same as everything else. Though, to be fair, there was a lot of discussion and "analysing" of many a philosophical/moral matter back in the day, so probably not a bad place to start.

thank you for making this but could you do a shorter version of the same thing summarizing?

Looking back at the AH Fal. Can't help but also sometimes think of it as ad homiside. Maybe to get the audience's attention on subject.😂

Ok so how do we use logic in an opposite manner? What are main examples of truthful logic?

Omg 😂 This explains a lot what's going wrong in our modern society.

thanks

The information you know from “Tolkien’s personal letters” is interesting, but I’m wondering if you’re okay. CS Lewis and Tolkien really get you going haha

Someone kept responding to my comments with Ad Hominem counter arguments, so never had to react

How did you classify whataboutsim as a logical fallacy and left out Fallacy fallacy

Very helpful! I can use this info for my series on apologetics

Lists - personal lists - for others to follow........ Only if you are - a great spiritual Master. Oh - that position - is already taken. You have your story - and your work. Good luck. (Fare thee well)

Thanks for this. Too many "all the times" for us word commissar. :)

The sad fact is that these fallacies work so well, that you are at a disadvantage in persuading anyone, unless you do resort to these fallacies.

Today I learned that I am stupid. The whole life I was told otherwise.

What was your thesis about? What did you do with your philosophy time so far?

Shout out to Sudbury! Woot woot

31:24f The first example is not the best for this particular fallacy because it's more about thinking that one possibility excludes the other while it doesn't. A better example would be calling someone a Nazi or a Faschist because (s)he doesn't agree with Marxism, since Marxism and Faschism indeed exclude each other but you still can be neither of them but e.g. liberal.

I swear I see these all over the place whenever I watch CNN or MSNBC. To a lesser extent Fox, and rarely, if ever, on Newsmax, Epoch Times or OAN.

Thank you, I'm taking the lsat wish me luck

My favorite is the false cause. For example just today was very hot out and some people in front of the dollar store were saying that he caused the grass island catch on fire. What nonsense. No sense in Talking to them If they are that stupid

Two more fallacies I understand are very common (most of the time in debates where religious people try to defend their strong held believes and especially when presuppositionalists are talking up) are these: 1. The fallacy of pressuposing anything supernatural: With that strategy the person presupposing the "thing" automatically assumes to hold the higher stand/position and argues down on any debate opposition. That person (a.k.a. presuppositionalist) won't listen. They do not come for the debate but only to be right. If the debate opponent does not follow their imaginative rules (a.k.a. their script) they become very agressive or impulsive. When someone cuts right through their script they often start to distract the audience and make a horrible show that is again mostly all about them, their feelings etc. Many times the presupps withdraw from a debate when they can not win and do death-talk their opponents in their own chat rooms and litle online communities where they aremostly surrounded by yes sayers. That is the most vile kind of fallacy troll. It often also intersects with the "authority fallacy". 2. The authority fallacy: This type is easily dismantled. It often reveals itself when always mentioning a certain source which has little to no impact on the point of the debate at all or if said source has been proven to be invalid. Also they like to name drop other person you as their debate opponene might never heard of and you are called lesser of a debater because you must have heard of this or thast person who claimes this or that. or has written this or that one specific book. So this is mostly another strategy to distract from the actual point of debate. And like the presupp fallacy doesn'tgo anywhere which is the intended goal of the person using/abusing that fallacy if their opponent is unaware. Also another trap is when the presuppositionalists asks the debate opponent to interact on their platform. Because their they make the rules and anybody except them has no chance to debate honestly, being interrupted and muted or even banned all the time. If you ever encounter a presupp do one thing: Deny them their opportunity to come out. Let them starve in their crumpling mind.

Those "Whataboutism" people just like to argue.

Under what category it falls when someone dismisses a theory as fals, saying: "its a conspiracy theory" without even arguing about it? My bet is the circular reasoning, but not sure.

Holy cow I love the Tolkien and Lewis references bwahahah

“The bible says the bible is true, so the bible must be true” lol best line ever

I want to be logical and successful.

The slope of legally accommodating transgender identity has proven to be a slippery slope for the rights of women. I see many of these fallacies presented in favour of the transgender position.

I Need to change the playspeed of the video 2 times faster 🤣

I thought argumentation was barred from university life? - you know, like everybody now agrees on the same thing and there's no saying anything that another person may find disagreeable? I hope you're tenured.

Funny that you would lecture on logical fallacies and talk about "literal falsehoods" while having a globe behind you when the Earth is not a sphere. Otherwise an excellent lecture. I love regularly exercising my fallacy detecting muscles.

Is God of the Gaps a Fallacy?

Evolutionists and big bangers are guilty of so many of these fallacies. If they were hinest they could just say they dont know but they are very aware not to let the idea of a God being ruled out or not admitted into any ofvthe possiblities.

Dear Dr. Lepojarvi, God's grace+peace to you, your loved ones, your colleagues, your students, your many friends+your church or fellowship from the Philippines! Sorry to be so simple-minded+detail-obsessed, but why did you include "appeal to faith" on this list? After all, shouldn't you be a born-again+Bible-believing Christian? There is only ONE living, saving+Biblical faith, which is granted to us when we repent of our sins+when we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Of course, we must also abide in Him. Have a wonderful, blessef, uplifting, righteous, productive, healthy+godly Happy New Year 2024!

I gave up on this video due to far to many interruptions from ads. Ugh!

23:11

My friend encouraged me do this fun thought experiment after watching this video, he asked me to explain the heliocentric model of our "world" after learning these. Its a fun thought experiment, and becomes difficult to logically argue for a heliocentric model. Curious as to if youve ever done something like challenging your current beliefs like that?

The Bible actually has many verses+passages which are tied together touchingly by the Bible's central message: God's wonderful redemption+salvation plan. It culminated in the 1st coming of Jesus Christ (all the way from His immaculate conception+virgin birth to His passion, crucifixion, shed blood, resurrection+ascension). In the end times, which we are living in, God's salvation+redemption plan will be consummated+completed through the various events of the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

⚫

Genetic fallacy argument is the atheist favorite against the bible.

You missed the fallacy fallacy, where identifying a fallacy in an argument is a person's trump card. Is ad hominim a fallacy when saying "of course you dont think murder is bad- youre a convicted serial killer"

Calvinism doesnt teach losing faith, it teaches losing true salivation. There are variations of faith, and these issues are hammered out in theoligical writings, but salvation coming from God, its God who gets the Christian to the end, mot us and our own often weak faith.. Anyway, your point taken..

A guy that has a globe in the background is going to teach me about logical fallacies? I don't think so. See ya

How is 6 fallacy? Who can be able to approve or disprove the factually seeable claims of a trauma victim ( in this case) but first hand witnesses are used to justify credible truth in public discussion? The witnesses say....this is then taken in with out much protection, but how is this practical?

U assumed a male audience when u said understanding 'women'🤔so therefore life is sexist as ontological fact according to philosophers?, but only for women, not females i assume as eunochs wld have the same brain as makes?

Amazing video!