Noun
formal fallacy (plural formal fallacies)
(logic) A pattern of reasoning which is always wrong, due to a flaw in the structure of the argument.
Antonym: informal fallacy
Hypernyms: fallacy, logical fallacy
Affirming the consequent, sometimes called converse error, fallacy of the converse or confusion of necessity and sufficiency, is a formal fallacy of inferring the converse from the original statement. Source: Internet
An argument that contains a formal fallacy will always be invalid. Source: Internet
Begging the question is not considered a formal fallacy (an argument that is defective because it uses an incorrect deductive step ). Source: Internet
By extension, an argument can contain a formal fallacy even if the argument is not a deductive one: for instance, an inductive argument that incorrectly applies principles of probability or causality can be said to commit a formal fallacy. Source: Internet
Cold War In the Cold War context, the term was and is most commonly used by anti-Communists as an accusation of formal fallacy for leftist criticisms of United States foreign policy and military conduct. Source: Internet
The presence of a formal fallacy in a deductive argument does not imply anything about the argument's premises or its conclusion. Source: Internet