Logical Fallacies

The High-Yield List

Know these by name and mechanism: ad hominem (attacking the person, not the argument), straw man (distorting a position to defeat it easily), false dichotomy (only two options offered when more exist), appeal to authority (status instead of evidence), circular reasoning (conclusion restates the premise), hasty generalization (broad conclusion from limited cases), post hoc (assuming causation from timing), and slippery slope (asserting an inevitable chain reaction without evidence).

Precision Over Recognition

CARS rarely asks whether an argument is flawed; it asks you to name the specific flaw, and the wrong answers are other real fallacies. Dismissing a senator's transit bill because he owns bus-company shares is circumstantial ad hominem -- not straw man (nothing was distorted) and not false dichotomy (no either/or).

The Deeper Point

A fallacy lies in the inference, not necessarily the verdict: a conflict of interest justifies scrutiny but never proves a claim false. An argument can be fallacious and still reach a true conclusion -- CARS rewards test-takers who keep those separate.

Key Takeaways

• Learn each fallacy's mechanism, not just its name
• Wrong answers are neighboring fallacies -- distinguish look-alikes
• Ad hominem attacks the arguer; appeal to authority is its mirror
• Fallacious reasoning can still yield a true conclusion