Critical Thought Patterns

Warning: the following patterns may cause excessive questioning, cognitive dissonance, and spontaneous outbursts of reason.

Common Patterns

• Ad Hominem: attacking the person rather than the argument
• Straw Man: misrepresenting others' positions for easy attack
• False Equivocation: using ambiguity to mislead
• Loaded Language: using emotional appeals to obscure truth
• Complex Question: asking a question with multiple assumptions
• Assurance Technique: providing false certitude
• Authority Appeal: citing irrelevant authority
• Consensus Appeal: citing popularity to justify an argument
• Slippery Slope: exaggerating consequences
• Ad Populorum: appealing to the majority

Learn more about Ad Hominem