Perceived Authority
Logical fallacies that exploit the perception of authority to mislead or manipulate an audience.
anonymous authority - insisting something is true based on the opinion of unnamed or vague experts.
compromised authority - insisting something is true because an expert on the issue says it's true, when that expert has a vested interest in the outcome.
false authority - insisting something is true because someone posing as or being framed as an expert says it's true.
Kernels of Truth
Tactics of deception or fallacies that rely on partial truths, selective omission, or misleading presentation to create a distorted but plausible reality.
cherry picking - presenting only evidence that confirms your position, while ignoring or withholding an often more significant portion that contradicts it.
exaggeration - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
half truth - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth.
misleading claim - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
out of context - removing a passage or quote from its surrounding context in such a way as to distort its intended meaning.
post hoc - proclaiming that because something occurred after X, it was caused by X, when no causal relationship at all may exist.
Falsehoods & Fabrications
Tactics of deception or fallacies that rely on outright falsehoods, distortions, or misrepresentations to deceive or manipulate the audience.
ad nauseum - repeating a claim or message over and over until it becomes ingrained in the audience’s mind, creating an illusion of truth through sheer repetition.
baseless claim - a bold statement that is presented as accepted or established fact, with no discernable evidence to support the claim.
false claim - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
straw man - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
the big lie - telling and repeating a lie so bold and audacious that people will be inclined to think there must be some truth to it.
