Name: _________________________________
Class: _______________
Date: _________________________
DEBATE: MAKING YOUR CASE
Faulty Reasoning Defining and Examples
Logical thinking is critical in a debate, both in arguing your position and in tearing down your opponents’ arguments.
Be sure not to argue by using faulty reasoning! See the definitions and examples below. Practice identifying faulty
reasoning by making your own examples.
FAULTY REASONING
DEFINITION
Over Generalization
Arriving at conclusions based on too few
“Look at those kids writing on examples.
that wall; all teenagers are
vandals.”
Faulty Comparisons
“I’m not worried about high
school; I breezed through
junior high”
Mistaking the cause
“Ever since we bought that
ski-doo, his marks have
fallen.”
Name Calling
“You’re too young to
understand.”
Comparing two subjects that are actually more
different than they are similar.
Assuming an effect is due to only one cause and
ignoring other possible causes.
Resort to derogatory statements rather than
providing logic.
MY EXAMPLE
Name: _________________________________
Class: _______________
MISLEADING OR DECEPTIVE ARGUMENTS
Identify each statement as one of the types of faulty reasoning:
FAULTY
REASONING
Over Generalization
“Look at those kids
writing on that wall; all
teenagers are vandals.”
Faulty Comparisons
“I’m not worried about
high school; I breezed
through junior high”
Mistaking the cause
“Ever since we bought
that ski-doo, his marks
have fallen.”
Name Calling
“You’re too young to
understand.”
MISLEADING OR
DECEPTIVE
ARGUMENTS
(SENTENCE #)
1. “You know, there’s plenty wrong with
American kids. There are more crimes
committed today by juveniles than ever
before in the USA.
2. TV commercials are a bunch of baloney.
3. American women should stop nagging about
wanting to be liberated. Think of it—50 years
ago they didn’t have such conveniences as
vacuum cleaners and dishwashers!
4. “Of course it’s her fault, officer. She’s a woman,
and everyone knows how they drive.”
5. Miss Anthony won’t let us start a horseback riding
club and she can’t even walk straight.
6. No we won’t allow students into faculty meetings.
They did that at Gramm School and look what
happened; student riots almost every week.
7. That’s the last time you’ll go camping with Henry.
You always get sick a few days after you come
back.
Date: _________________________