🧠Learn Common Logical Fallacies
Learn fourteen of the most common logical fallacies with real examples from news, ads, and online debates — then prove you can reason fairly by writing one airtight paragraph arguing for a position you personally reject.
Phase 1What Makes an Argument Broken
Meet ad hominem and straw man, fallacy's core shapes.
A wrong argument and a broken argument are not the same
7 minA wrong argument and a broken argument are not the same
Attacking the arguer instead of the argument
7 minAttacking the arguer instead of the argument
Refuting a position no one actually holds
8 minRefuting a position no one actually holds
Not every fallacy has a Latin name
7 minNot every fallacy has a Latin name
Phase 2One Fallacy a Day
Practice slippery slope, false dichotomy, appeal to authority.
If we allow A, we'll end up at Z
7 minIf we allow A, we'll end up at Z
Only two options when there are many
7 minOnly two options when there are many
An expert said it, so it must be true
8 minAn expert said it, so it must be true
Making you feel it instead of showing you it
7 minMaking you feel it instead of showing you it
An argument that assumes what it's trying to prove
8 minAn argument that assumes what it's trying to prove
Phase 3Fallacies in the Wild
Spot fallacies in real headlines, ads, and threads.
A health headline, a smiling nonagenarian, and a share-happy friend
8 minHeadlines condense — and in condensing, they often imply causation the study never claimed
Six fallacies in a 30-second supplement ad
8 minAds stack multiple weak fallacies because each one alone might fail
Three replies, three fallacies, thirty seconds
8 minOnline threads are fallacy-dense zones — five of the fourteen can appear in a single exchange
Old speeches, the same tricks, different clothes
8 minThe same fallacies have worked on humans for three thousand years — you're not smarter, just trained
Phase 4Argue for the Other Side, Cleanly
Write a clean argument for a view you reject.
Write a clean argument for a view you personally reject
8 minYou've only understood an argument when you can make its strongest case — even one you disagree with — without cheating
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a fallacy and just being wrong?
- This is covered in the “Learn Common Logical Fallacies” learning path. Start with daily 5-minute micro-lessons that build from fundamentals to hands-on application.
- Are logical fallacies always intentional?
- This is covered in the “Learn Common Logical Fallacies” learning path. Start with daily 5-minute micro-lessons that build from fundamentals to hands-on application.
- What's the most common logical fallacy online?
- This is covered in the “Learn Common Logical Fallacies” learning path. Start with daily 5-minute micro-lessons that build from fundamentals to hands-on application.
- Is 'appeal to authority' always a fallacy?
- This is covered in the “Learn Common Logical Fallacies” learning path. Start with daily 5-minute micro-lessons that build from fundamentals to hands-on application.
- How do I point out a fallacy without sounding condescending?
- This is covered in the “Learn Common Logical Fallacies” learning path. Start with daily 5-minute micro-lessons that build from fundamentals to hands-on application.
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