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fallacy of relevance

A fallacy whose premises, true or not, have nothing to do with the conclusion.

A fallacy of relevance offers premises that may be true and may even be persuasive but give no logical support to the conclusion. The reasons point at the speaker, the audience's feelings, a different claim, or the claim's origin instead of at the claim itself.

Examples

  • Attacking a critic's manners instead of her evidence.

  • Answering a question about the budget by talking about last year's parade.

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