Recognising fallacies

In short: Fallacies are reasoning errors that seem convincing but are logically unsound. Those who know them see through weak arguments in discussions and advertising.

In more detail: An argument can be wrong even if the claim happens to be true.

In detail

• Ad hominem: Attacking the person instead of the argument.
• Straw man: Misrepresenting the opposing position and refuting that.
• False dilemma: Naming only two options although there are more.
• Slippery slope: Claiming one step leads inevitably to the worst.
• Appeal to authority: “An expert says so” without evidence.
• Circular reasoning: Using the claim as a premise.
• Correlation ≠ causation: Occurring together does not prove a link (kognitive-verzerrungen).
• Tip: Ask for evidence and alternatives (logik-grundlagen-schluesse).