Chapter 25: Further Reading — Logic, Argumentation, and Fallacy Recognition

Core Logic and Argumentation Texts

1. Walton, Douglas N. (1989). Informal Logic: A Handbook for Critical Argumentation. Cambridge University Press.

Walton is arguably the most important contemporary theorist of informal argumentation. This foundational text provides a systematic treatment of argument schemes, fallacies, and the relationship between formal and informal logic. Unlike traditional logic texts, Walton grounds his analysis in the pragmatic context of real discourse — how arguments function in dialogue, legal reasoning, and everyday persuasion. His treatment of the ad hominem, appeal to authority, and slippery slope as context-dependent rather than universally fallacious is particularly valuable for the nuanced analysis required in media literacy education. Essential reading for anyone who wants to go beyond mere fallacy labeling to understanding why arguments succeed or fail in context.

2. Walton, Douglas N. (1995). A Pragmatic Theory of Fallacy. University of Alabama Press.

Walton's comprehensive theoretical treatment of the fallacy concept. He argues that what we call "fallacies" are better understood as argument moves that are appropriate in some dialogical contexts and inappropriate in others. The book challenges simple classification approaches and provides a more sophisticated framework. Particularly relevant for students who notice that the same argument (e.g., appeal to authority) can be legitimate or fallacious depending on context. Includes detailed treatment of the Socratic tradition of fallacy theory and extensive analysis of specific fallacies.

3. Hamblin, Charles L. (1970). Fallacies. Methuen.

The scholarly work that revitalized fallacy theory in the twentieth century. Hamblin demonstrates that the traditional Aristotelian list of fallacies is poorly defined, inconsistently classified, and lacking theoretical foundation. His critical survey of two millennia of fallacy theory is intellectually demanding but essential for understanding why the field needed rebuilding. The book's constructive proposal for a formal dialogue approach to fallacies has influenced virtually all subsequent work. For advanced students interested in the philosophy of logic and argumentation.

4. Toulmin, Stephen. (1958). The Uses of Argument. Cambridge University Press.

Toulmin's revolutionary contribution to argumentation theory, introducing a model of argument structure that goes beyond the premise-conclusion format of classical logic. His schema — claim, grounds, warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier — captures aspects of real-world argumentation that formal logic misses. The Toulmin model has been enormously influential in rhetoric, composition studies, debate, and critical thinking education. Particularly useful for analyzing the implicit warrants (connecting principles) that arguments rely on but rarely state. Accessible to advanced undergraduates.

5. Johnson, Ralph H., and Blair, J. Anthony. (1977/2006). Logical Self-Defense. IDEA Press.

One of the best practical introductions to informal logic, combining rigorous standards with accessible examples. Johnson and Blair's treatment of the criteria for argument evaluation — acceptability, relevance, and sufficiency of premises — provides a more nuanced framework than binary valid/invalid assessments. Their treatment of context in argument evaluation, and of how to structure constructive critiques rather than mere refutations, is particularly valuable for students who want to engage substantively with real-world arguments.

6. Fischer, David Hackett. (1970). Historians' Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought. Harper & Row.

A unique contribution to the fallacy literature, cataloging the specific logical errors that appear in historical reasoning: the fallacy of false periodization, the fallacy of presentism, ad hominem arguments in historical debates, the fallacy of the lonely fact (one example generalized), and many others. Fischer writes with wit and provides examples from actual historical scholarship. This book is simultaneously a manual of historical method and a masterclass in recognizing flawed reasoning in narrative contexts. Essential for understanding how misinformation distorts historical claims.

Applied Fallacy Recognition and Critical Thinking

7. Dowden, Bradley. (2020). Logical Reasoning (3rd ed.). [Available open access through California State University Sacramento.)

A comprehensive, freely available textbook covering both formal and informal logic with an emphasis on recognizing fallacies in natural-language contexts. Dowden's treatment is systematic and includes extensive practice exercises. Particularly strong on the relationship between statistical reasoning and fallacies (hasty generalization, misleading statistics). The open-access format makes it ideal for classroom adoption.

8. Whyte, Jamie. (2004). Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders. McGraw-Hill.

An accessible, witty, and rigorous catalog of logical errors drawn from contemporary political and media discourse. Whyte analyzes how motivated reasoning, misuse of statistics, and deliberate obfuscation operate in public debate. While written for general audiences, the analysis is philosophically sophisticated. Excellent as supplementary reading for students who want to see fallacy analysis applied to real political discourse.

9. Sagan, Carl. (1995). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Random House.

Sagan's magnum opus on the relationship between science, critical thinking, and susceptibility to pseudoscience and misinformation. Chapter 12, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," presents Sagan's "Baloney Detection Kit" — a set of cognitive tools for evaluating claims. While not an academic logic text, the book combines rigorous thinking with deep humanity and is exceptionally effective for motivating critical thinking. The Baloney Detection Kit has been widely adopted in media literacy education.

10. Shermer, Michael. (1997). Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time. W.H. Freeman.

Shermer's analysis of how fallacious reasoning combines with psychological biases to produce belief in pseudoscience, paranormal phenomena, and conspiracy theories. The book systematically examines specific belief systems (creationism, Holocaust denial, alien abduction) and identifies the recurring logical and psychological patterns. Shermer's treatment of "how thinking goes wrong" is a useful companion to formal fallacy analysis.

Argumentation and Misinformation

11. Oreskes, Naomi, and Conway, Erik M. (2010). Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. Bloomsbury Press.

Essential reading for understanding organized misinformation campaigns. Oreskes and Conway document how the same rhetorical and logical tactics — manufacturing uncertainty, appealing to scientific controversy, attacking researchers personally, cherry-picking studies — have been deployed across multiple industries facing scientific evidence of harm. The book connects the abstract study of fallacies to their concrete, large-scale political deployment. Particularly relevant for Case Study 25.1.

12. Proctor, Robert N. (2011). Golden Holocaust: Origins of the Cigarette Catastrophe and the Case for Abolition. University of California Press.

A comprehensive history of how the tobacco industry systematically deployed logical fallacies, suppressed evidence, manufactured scientific controversy, and manipulated public discourse to delay regulation. Proctor's meticulous documentation makes this the definitive case study in the real-world deployment of argument manipulation at industrial scale. Provides historical depth to the rhetorical strategies discussed in this chapter.

Debate and Rhetoric

13. Gish, Duane T. (1978). Evolution: The Fossils Say No! Creation-Life Publishers.

Included not as a reliable source on paleontology (it is not) but as a historical artifact of the rhetorical strategy to which Gish gave his name. Reading Gish's argumentation reveals the characteristic features of the Gallop in its original context: rapid claims, appeals to scientific uncertainty, cherry-picked anomalies, and appeals to laypeople's lack of technical expertise. Understanding the origin of the Gish Gallop in its natural habitat deepens understanding of the strategy.

14. Scott, Eugenie C. (2004). Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction. Greenwood Press.

Scott coined the term "Gish Gallop" and spent decades as director of the National Center for Science Education analyzing and responding to creationist argumentation. Her book provides a thorough treatment of the rhetorical and argumentative strategies used to undermine evolutionary biology, with explicit attention to debate tactics. Useful for understanding how scientists have developed responses to systematic argumentation in bad faith.

15. Roozenbeek, Jon, and van der Linden, Sander. (2019). "Fake news game confers psychological resistance against online misinformation." Palgrave Communications, 5, 65.

Key paper on "pre-bunking" — the inoculation approach to misinformation resistance. Rather than debunking specific false claims after they spread, pre-bunking exposes people to weakened doses of misinformation manipulation techniques, building resistance before exposure to actual misinformation. This paper provides empirical evidence that teaching people about rhetorical manipulation techniques (like the Gish Gallop) reduces their susceptibility to those techniques. Highly relevant to the educational goals of this chapter.