ABSTRACT
Sometimes we are moved to accept or reject claims when we have been given no good grounds for doing so. Often this is because speakers or writ-
• Further fallacies 153 Equivocation • Red herring • Slippery slope • Straw man • Begging the question • False dilemma
and the process of employing them sham-reasoning. As critical thinkers we should be alert to the possibility of sham-reasoning, take care to avoid being convinced by arguments that rely upon it, and avoid using sham-reasons in our own attempts to persuade others. We are interested in two types of sham-reasoning: rhetorical ploys and fallacies. This chapter aims to equip you to distinguish between rhetorical ploys and fallacies, to familiarise you with various common types of sham-reasoning and to develop strategies of reconstruction and evaluation that will enable you to deal with them when analysing, assessing and constructing attempts to persuade.
