In academic writing, what is a 'straw man' logical fallacy?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack and refute
- Step 1: A straw man fallacy occurs when someone oversimplifies, distorts, or caricatures an opponent's position.
- Step 2: The debater then knocks down this distorted version rather than engaging with the actual argument.
Answer
Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack and refute.
Why not the others: 'Attacking the personal character of an opponent rather than their argument' defines an ad hominem fallacy; 'Assuming that because event B followed event A, event A caused event B' defines the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy; 'Arguing that a claim must be true' defines an appeal to authority (argumentum ad verecundiam).
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