What are fallacies of relevance?
Fallacies of relevance, also known as red herring fallacies, divert attention from the core issues of an argument, dismissing an opposing view based on irrelevant information. Examples include the following:
- Genetic fallacies, which focus on the origins of the ideas expressed
- Tu quoque fallacies, which criticize the supposed hypocrisy of the person presenting the argument
- Straw man fallacies, which attack a distorted version of the opponent’s real argument