An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

Ambiguity

Equivocation

How can you be against faith when you take leaps of faith all the time: making investments, trusting friends, and even getting engaged?

No True Scotsman

“But John is a programmer, and he is not socially awkward at all.” Yes, but John isn’t a true programmer.

Causal

Not a Cause for a Cause

The hacker took down the railway company’s website, and when I checked the train schedule, what do you know, they were all delayed!

Argument from Consequences

If God does not exist, then everything is permitted.

Straw Man

The essence of this technique is to caricature a position to make it easier to attack.

My opponent is trying to convince you that we evolved from chimpanzees who were swinging from trees, a truly ludicrous claim.

Environmentalists care more for snail darters and spotted owls than they do for people.

Appeal to Fear

You should give me all your valuables before the police get here. They will end up putting them in the storeroom, and things tend to get lost in the storeroom.