Note 1:

Episode 43 discusses in detail the distinction between red herring and ignoratio elenchi so listeners should refer to that episode if they are still unclear on the difference between these two fallacies.

Note 2:

We should mention that, in addition to being a fallacy, red herring is also a large category of fallacies. We’ll give examples below that, as far as we can tell, don’t fit the definition of any other fallacy.

Example 1:

Tom: The President must be impeached or resign. The criminality and incompetence both of himself and his cabinet is even greater than that of his predecessor!

Dick: I agree that his popularity rating has declined because of the problems everyone is having in the current difficult circumstances. However, we are now at war because of [alleged plot by unpopular foreign country] so it is important to support him in his role as Commander in Chief!

Dick’s response is a red herring fallacy because not only is the subject of the new war irrelevant to the justification for getting rid of the President, but in fact it is all the more reason for him to go because it is yet another calamity brought on by his administration.

Example 2:

The Theory of Evolution is false because even Darwin had no explanation for how life originally started.

This argument is a red herring because the theory of evolution is not about how life originally started.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.