skills/nweii/agent-stuff/find-fallacies

find-fallacies

SKILL.md

Find Fallacies

Analyze the provided text and identify any logical fallacies present. For each fallacy found, explain:

  1. The fallacy name and type
  2. Where it appears in the text
  3. Why it's fallacious (brief explanation)

Fallacy Reference

Formal Fallacies

Errors in logical form.

  • Appeal to probability — Taking something for granted because it would probably be the case
  • Argument from fallacy — Assuming fallacious argument means false conclusion
  • Base rate fallacy — Ignoring prior probabilities in conditional reasoning
  • Conjunction fallacy — Multiple conditions seem more probable than single condition
  • Non sequitur — Conclusion doesn't follow premise
  • Affirming the consequent — if A then B; B, therefore A
  • Denying the antecedent — if A then B; not A, therefore not B
  • Modal fallacy — Confusing necessity with sufficiency

Informal Fallacies

Improper Premise

  • Begging the question — Using conclusion to support itself
  • Circular reasoning — Beginning with what you're trying to prove
  • Loaded question — Question presupposes something unproven

Faulty Generalizations

  • Cherry picking — Using only confirming data
  • Survivorship bias — Focusing on successes, ignoring failures
  • Hasty generalization — Broad conclusion from small sample
  • No true Scotsman — Redefining to exclude counterexamples
  • False analogy — Poorly suited comparison

Questionable Cause

  • Correlation implies causation — Assuming correlation means cause
  • Post hoc ergo propter hoc — After this, therefore because of this
  • Single cause fallacy — Assuming one cause when multiple exist
  • Regression fallacy — Failing to account for natural fluctuations

Relevance Fallacies

  • Appeal to the stone — Dismissing as absurd without proof
  • Argument from ignorance — Not proven false = true (or vice versa)
  • Argument from incredulity — Can't imagine it, so must be false
  • Red herring — Introducing irrelevant topic

Ad Hominem Variants

  • Ad hominem — Attacking arguer instead of argument
  • Circumstantial ad hominem — Dismissing due to perceived benefit
  • Poisoning the well — Discrediting source preemptively
  • Appeal to motive — Dismissing based on assumed motives
  • Tu quoque — "You do it too"
  • Tone policing — Focusing on emotion over substance

Appeals

  • Appeal to authority — True because authority says so
  • Appeal to emotion — Manipulating feelings over reasoning
  • Appeal to nature — Natural = good
  • Appeal to tradition — True because long held
  • Appeal to popularity — True because many believe it
  • Appeal to consequences — True because of desired outcomes

Other Common Fallacies

  • Straw man — Refuting a different argument than presented
  • False dilemma — Only two options when more exist
  • False equivalence — Treating unequal things as equal
  • Slippery slope — Small step leads inevitably to disaster
  • Moving the goalposts — Demanding more evidence when some provided
  • Nirvana fallacy — Rejecting imperfect solutions
  • Motte-and-bailey — Defending modest claim when challenged on bold one
  • Special pleading — Claiming exemption without justification
  • Whataboutism — Deflecting by pointing to other wrongs
  • Kafkatrapping — Denial as evidence of guilt

Output Format

Present findings as:

FALLACIES

  • Fallacy Name: Fallacy Type — Brief explanation of where and why it appears.

If no fallacies are found, say so and note any areas where the reasoning is sound or where claims are well-supported.

Weekly Installs
17
First Seen
Jan 25, 2026
Installed on
opencode17
gemini-cli17
codex17
github-copilot16
amp16
kimi-cli16