This document defines and provides examples of common logical fallacies. It discusses fallacies of relevance, including appeals to force, genetic fallacies, personal attacks, appeals to majority, tradition, and improper authority. It also covers fallacies of ambiguity, omission, emotion, adverse consequences, and personal incredulity. Examples are provided to illustrate each type of fallacious reasoning.

1. LOGICAL
FALLACIES
Logic Gone Mad.

2. WHAT’S A FALLACY?
 I believe that Germany was not worthy of the FIFA
Cup because according to boxing icon Manny
Pacquiao, the team was not really good in soccer.
 Sweeping dust out of the house during night time is
not good because old folks said that it throws out
good luck away.
 That road is the fastest road to school because
most of my classmates take it.
 For me, the K+12 Curriculum will surely fail
because I can’t understand how it works.
 You should not love him because he is an ex-convict.

3. WHAT IS A FALLACY?
 Fallacies are statements that might sound
reasonable or superficially true but are actually
flawed or dishonest.

4. CATEGORIES OF FALLACY
Fallacy of Relevance
Component Fallacy
Fallacy of Ambiguity
Fallacy of Omission

5. FALLACY OF RELEVANCE
These fallacies appeal to evidences or examples that
are not relevant to the argument at hand.

6. APPEAL TO FORCE
(ARGUMENTUM AD BACULUM)
 “Might-Makes-Right” Fallacy
 Uses Force, Threats or Unpleasant Backlashes
Example:
 “2+2= 22, believe that or I’ll smash your face!”
 “God is not true. If someone here says otherwise
then he shall face his death.”
 “You should not publish that. I need not to remind
you that the board has fired the previous editor for
ignoring our orders.”
 “Believe me or else you’ll fail this course.”

7. GENETIC FALLACY
 The genetic fallacy is the claim that an idea,
product, or person must be untrustworthy because
of its racial, geographic, or ethnic origin.
Example:
 “That product should not be trusted because it was
made in China.”
 “Why should we listen to my opponent? When she
is an Aeta who knows nothing but plant root crops?”
 “We should not trust him because he is a Muslim
and he might be a terrorist.”

8. PERSONAL ATTACK
(ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM)
 “Argument toward the man” or “Poisoning the Well”
Fallacy
 Attacking or praising the person who made an
argument, rather than discussing the argument
itself.
Example:
 “How can you say that the act is moral when you
were once a convicted criminal?”
 Two Sub-categories of Ad Hominem:
A. Abusive B. Circumstantial

9. ABUSIVE PERSONAL ATTACK
 To argue that proposals, assertions, or arguments
must be false or dangerous because they originate
with atheists, Christians, Muslims, communists,
capitalists,, Catholics, anti-Catholics, racists, anti-racists,
feminists, misogynists (or any other group)
is fallacious.
 Just like GENETIC FALLACY

10. CIRCUMSTANTIAL PERSONAL ATTACK
 To argue that an opponent should accept or reject
an argument because of circumstances in his or her
life.
Example:
 “Aren’t you an atheist? Then you should support
same sex marriage.”
 “Heinz, do you love your wife? Then steal for her to
live!”
 “If you are really an anti-poverty and malnutrition
advocate, then agree that abortion is moral and
legal.”

11. APPEAL TO MAJORITY
(ARGUMENTUM AD PAPULUM)
 Using an appeal to popular assent, often by
arousing the feelings and enthusiasm of the
multitude rather than building an argument.
 Three Basic Approaches in Ad Papulum
a. Bandwagon Approach
b. Patriotic Approach
c. Snob Approach

12. BANDWAGON (AD PAPULUM)
 Everybody is doing it, therefore, it must be true.
 Often used by advertisers.
Example:
 “95% of Filipinos use “Clear” as their shampoo,
thus, it is the best shampoo in the Philippines.”
 “Among the presidents who served us, he got the
highest turn out of votes. He is really the most
qualified candidate.”
 “Most of the members of the jury believed his
argument. It must have been the best argument
ever provided in this case.”

13. PATRIOTIC (AD PAPULUM)
 “Draping oneself in a flag.”
 Asserts that a certain stance is true or correct
because it is somehow patriotic, and that those who
disagree are unpatriotic.
 Somewhat overlapping with Circumstantial
Personal Attack (Ad Hominem).
Example
 “You are a Filipino that is why you should buy
Filipino product.”

14. SNOB (AD PAPULUM)
 “All the best people are doing it, therefore, it must
be true.”
Example:
 “Most of the famous actors in the country uses
Master facial cleanser that is why it is the best facial
cleanser in the country.”
 “Great boxers in the Philippines trained in Allah
Boxing Gym. I will also train there to become a
great boxer.”
 “National officials are stealing, thus, it is just right
for barangay officials to do the same.”

15. APPEAL TO TRADITION
(ARGUMENTUM AD TRADITIO)
 This line of thought asserts that a premise must be
true because people have always believed it or
done it. Alternatively, it may conclude that the
premise has always worked in the past and will thus
always work in the future.
Example:
 “Books are still the best sources of information
because they have been used for thousands of
years.”
 “Scolding a student who misbehaves is still the best
way to instil discipline because it has been done by
teachers in the past.”

16. APPEAL TO IMPROPER AUTHORITY
(ARGUMENTUM AD VERECUNDIUM)
 “Uses ideas of unreliable people.”
Example:
 “I believe that Germany was not worthy of the FIFA
Cup because according to boxing icon Manny
Pacquiao, the team was not really good in soccer.”
 “According to Vice Ganda, the economy of the
Philippines is falling because of the insurgencies in
Mindanao. With that, I suggest that we should first
settle the conflicts in Mindanao before we focus on
economy.”

17. BIASED AUTHORITY
 The authority is one who actually is knowledgeable
on the matter, but may have professional or
personal motivations that affect his judgement.
Example
 “A squatter told me that demolition is an immoral
act, thus, I would say that it is not just immoral but
illegal.”
 “According to a frat leader, hazing is an essential
feature of fraternities, thus, it should not be banned
even if it causes death.”

18. APPEAL TO EMOTION
(ARGUMENTUM AD MISERICORDIAM)
 Argument from “pity”
Example
 “He should not be punished because he is just a
little child.”
 “Heinz should not be imprisoned for stealing
because he did that for his dying wife.”
 “The druggist should have not overpriced the drug
because it can cure many people who are
suffering.”
 “Please hire me because I have eight mouths to
feed.’

19. ARGUMENT FROM ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES
 Asserting that an argument must be false because
the implications of it being true would create
negative results.
Example
 “The medical tests show that Liza has advanced
cancer. However, that can’t be true because then
she would die! I refuse to believe it!”
 “Love should be painful. However, to believe in
such precept would mean I never have loved for I
have not felt any pain at all. I therefore refute such
statement.”

20. ARGUMENT FROM PERSONAL INCREDULITY
 Asserting that opponent’s argument must be false
because you personally don’t understand it or can’t
follow its technicalities.
Example:
 “For me, the K+12 Curriculum will surely fail
because I can’t understand how it works.”