Rules for Debate

10 Commandments of logic and debate

1 Thou shall not attack the person’s character but the argument (ad hominem)

2 Thou shalt not misrepresent or exaggerate a persons argument in order to make them easier to attack (straw man fallacy)

3 That shall not use small numbers to represent the whole (hasty generalisation)

4 Thou shalt not argue that position by assuming one of its premises is true (begging the question)

5 Thou shalt not claim that because something occurred before, it must be the cause (post hoc/false cause)

6 Thou shalt not reduce the argument down to 2 possibilities. (false dichotomy)

7 Thou shalt not argue that because of our ignorance, the claim must be true or false (ad ignorantum)

8 Thou shalt not lay the burden of proof onto him that is questioning the claim (burden of proof reversal)

9 That should not assume ‘this’ follows ‘that’ when it has no logical connection (non sequitur)

 10 Thou shalt not claim that because a premise is popular, therefore it must be true (bandwagon fallacy).

With thanks to Hugh Bishop from a post by Kelly White