Logical Fallacies

LogFall

A practical logical-fallacies reference with clear explanations, usable examples, and teaching tools.

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Category

Epistemic

Failures in belief management, confidence calibration, or standards for responsible belief.

How to spot it

10 fallacies in this category.

10

Is the speaker calibrating confidence to the strength of the evidence?

Examples in this category

All or nothing fallacyAppeal to emotionArgument from incredulityArgumentum ad populumArtificial negation

+5 more listed below.

Category vs. family

A category is a diagnostic lens, so a fallacy may appear in more than one category. A family is the broader umbrella that gives the fallacy its single main home.

All or nothing fallacy

Occurs when support for part of a view, or problems with part of a view, are treated as if they force total acceptance or total rejection of the whole package.

EpistemicEvidential
Intermediate Intro college
All or nothing fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when support for part of a view, or problems with part of a view, are treated as if they force total acceptance or total rejection of the whole package.

Appeal to emotion

Occurs when a conclusion is pushed mainly by triggering fear, pity, outrage, pride, or hope rather than by showing that the conclusion follows from the evidence.

TacticalEmotionalEpistemic
Foundational Middle school+
Appeal to emotion companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a conclusion is pushed mainly by triggering fear, pity, outrage, pride, or hope rather than by showing that the conclusion follows from the evidence.

Argument from incredulity

Occurs when someone treats their inability to imagine, explain, or believe a claim as evidence that the claim must be false, or conversely true.

EpistemicEvidential
Intermediate Intro college
Argument from incredulity companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone treats their inability to imagine, explain, or believe a claim as evidence that the claim must be false, or conversely true.

Argumentum ad populum

Occurs when a claim is treated as true, reasonable, or justified mainly because many people believe it, share it, or act on it.

EvidentialConceptualEpistemic
Intermediate Intro college
Argumentum ad populum companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a claim is treated as true, reasonable, or justified mainly because many people believe it, share it, or act on it.

Artificial negation

Occurs when the wording of a negative position is manipulated so that mere non-belief is treated as if it were the same thing as a strong positive denial.

EpistemicEvidential
Intermediate Intro college
Artificial negation companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when the wording of a negative position is manipulated so that mere non-belief is treated as if it were the same thing as a strong positive denial.

Confidence as a validator

Occurs when a speaker's certainty, intensity, or felt conviction is treated as if it were evidence that the claim is true.

EpistemicEvidentialEmotional
Intermediate Intro college
Confidence as a validator companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a speaker's certainty, intensity, or felt conviction is treated as if it were evidence that the claim is true.

Denial of the epistemic gradient

Occurs when belief is forced into crude either-or boxes even though the evidence supports a range of confidence levels rather than a single sharp threshold.

EpistemicEvidential
Intermediate Intro college
Denial of the epistemic gradient companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when belief is forced into crude either-or boxes even though the evidence supports a range of confidence levels rather than a single sharp threshold.

Epistemic/ontological conflation

Occurs when the psychological or social effects of believing something are treated as evidence that the thing believed in actually exists or is true.

ConceptualEvidentialEpistemic
Intermediate Intro college
Epistemic/ontological conflation companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when the psychological or social effects of believing something are treated as evidence that the thing believed in actually exists or is true.

For the sake of argument denial

Occurs when a hypothetical premise is rejected simply because the speaker does not actually believe it.

ConceptualEpistemic
Advanced Intro college
For the sake of argument denial companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a hypothetical premise is rejected simply because the speaker does not actually believe it.

Wishful thinking

Occurs when a belief or decision is driven mainly by what would be pleasing, hopeful, or comforting if true rather than by what the evidence supports.

EmotionalEpistemicEvidential
Intermediate High school
Wishful thinking companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a belief or decision is driven mainly by what would be pleasing, hopeful, or comforting if true rather than by what the evidence supports.