A Modest Proposal Jonathan Swift's 1729 satirical essay that offers a shocking ironic 'solution' to poverty in Ireland, using parody, persona, and statistical mockery to criticize social and politic…
Ad hominem (argumentative fallacy and rhetorical tactic) Ad hominem Ad hominem: an argumentative tactic that targets a person instead of their claim. Explains origins, common forms, why it is fallacious, when personal facts matter, examples and way…
Allusion (literary device) Allusion A brief reference in speech or writing to a person, event or work that evokes broader meaning. Allusions rely on shared knowledge to suggest ideas or tone without lengthy explanati…
Anecdote: short personal stories and their uses Anecdote Overview of anecdotes—brief personal stories used to illustrate points, teach, entertain, or persuade; features, history, uses, and how they differ from jokes, parables, and eviden…
Appeal to tradition (argumentum ad antiquitatem) Appeal to tradition A logical fallacy that treats longevity or custom as proof of correctness; commonly appears in rhetoric, politics, and everyday justification of practices without independent evide…
Ignoratio elenchi: the fallacy of irrelevant conclusion Ignoratio elenchi An informal logical fallacy in which an argument, though possibly coherent, fails to address the issue at hand—also called irrelevant conclusion; rooted in Aristotelian theory of r…
