Assumptive Fallacies

Disciplines > Argument > Fallacies > Assumptive Fallacies

Some fallacies fail due to unspoken assumptions which are made. The limitations of language means that we regularly miss out important information. This may also be used deliberately, to add hidden meaning to the message.

• Accident: A general rule used to explain a specific case not covered by it.
• Appeal to Novelty: Newer is better.
• Begging the Question: Circular reasoning to prove assumed premise.
• Complex Question: two questions, one answer allowed.
• Division: Assuming the parts have the characteristics of the whole.
• Excluded Middle: Only extreme views are valid.
• False Cause: A causes B (but no proof).
• False Effect: A is assumed to cause B. B is proven wrong, so A is wrong.
• False Dilemma: Choice is A or B. Rejecting A is selecting B.
• Four Terms: All A is B. All C is D. So all A is D.
• Hasty Generalization: Generalizing from too-small a sample.
• Illicit Major: All X is Y. No P (which is a subset of Y) is X. Therefore no P is Y.
• Illicit Minor: All X are Y. All X are P. Therefore all P are Y.
• Insignificance: Making a minor cause seem major.
• Post Hoc: X follows Y. Therefore X is caused by Y.
• Slippery Slope: Loosely connected statements with ridiculous conclusion.
• Undistributed Middle: All A is B. All C is B. Therefore all C is A.
• Wishful Thinking: A is true because I want it to be true.

See also

Assertive Fallacies