2. The either or fallacy, or false dilemma
3. The questionable statistics
4. Contradictions and inconsistencies
5. The loaded question
6. The false analogy
7. False cause
8. The slippery slope
A formal fallacy is an error in logic that can be seen in the argument's form without an understanding of the argument's content.[1] All formal fallacies are specific types of non sequiturs.
- Appeal to probability: assumes that because something could happen, it is inevitable that it will happen. This is the premise on which Murphy's law is based.
- Argument from fallacy: assumes that if an argument for some conclusion is fallacious, then the conclusion itself is false.[2]
- Base rate fallacy: making a probability judgement based on conditional probabilities, without taking into account the effect of prior probabilities.[3]
- Conjunction fallacy: assumption that an outcome simultaneously satisfying multiple conditions is more probable than an outcome satisfying a single one of them.[4]
- Correlative-based fallacies
- Denying the correlative: where attempts are made at introducing alternatives where there are none.[citation needed]
- Suppressed correlative: where a correlative is redefined so that one alternative is made impossible.[citation needed]
- Fallacy of necessity: a degree of unwarranted necessity is placed in the conclusion based on the necessity of one or more of its premises.
- Homunculus fallacy: where a "middle-man" is used for explanation, this usually leads to regressive middle-man. Explanations without actually explaining the real nature of a function or a process. Instead, it explains the concept in terms of the concept itself, without first defining or explaining the original concept.
- Is–ought problem: the inappropriate inference that because something is some way or other, it ought to be that way.[5]
- Masked man fallacy (illicit substitution of identicals): the substitution of identical designators in a true statement can lead to a false one.[6]
- Naturalistic fallacy: a fallacy that claims that if something is natural, pleasant, popular, etc. then it is good or right.
- Nirvana fallacy: when solutions to problems are said not to be right because they are not perfect.
- Package-deal fallacy: consists of assuming that things often grouped together by tradition or culture must always be grouped that way.
