◆ The Codex
Know Your Fallacies
A fallacy is a break in the chain of reasoning. The Oracle finds every break, names it, and quotes the exact words. Here are all sixteen.
Last updated · 2026-09-04
What is a fallacy?
An argument is a chain: a claim, held up by evidence, leading to a conclusion. A logical fallacy is a hidden break in that chain — the words still flow, but the reasoning no longer carries weight. Fallacious arguments can feel convincing, which is exactly why the Oracle penalises them.
When the evidence link breaks, the conclusion is left hanging — no matter how confident it sounds.
The sixteen the Oracle hunts
This is the exact taxonomy the judge uses — the same names you will see on your scorecards. Each detection costs points, with the offending quote called out. Tap any card for the full guide: examples, how to avoid it, and how to counter it.
Ad hominem
Attacking the person instead of their argument.
“You didn't even finish school — your tax plan is worthless.”
Spot it: The rebuttal targets WHO said it, not WHAT was said.
Read the full guide →Straw man
Distorting a position into a weaker version, then attacking that.
“You want a smaller army? So you want to leave us defenceless.”
Spot it: The position being attacked isn't the one that was actually stated.
Read the full guide →False dichotomy
Presenting two options as the only ones when more exist.
“Either we ban all social media, or childhood is ruined.”
Spot it: Count the doors — reality almost always has more than two.
Read the full guide →Appeal to authority
Treating a figure's endorsement as proof by itself.
“A famous doctor endorsed it, so it must work.”
Spot it: The status substitutes for the evidence instead of pointing to it.
Read the full guide →Slippery slope
Claiming one step inevitably ends in catastrophe, without justifying the chain.
“Allow one retake and soon grades will mean nothing.”
Spot it: A long chain of 'and then…' with no reason each link must follow.
Read the full guide →Cherry picking
Selecting only the evidence that helps, ignoring the rest.
“Crime fell in these three towns — so the policy works everywhere.”
Spot it: Ask what the UNQUOTED data says.
Read the full guide →Circular reasoning
Using the conclusion as its own premise.
“Reading is valuable because books are worth reading.”
Spot it: Strip the wording: the reason IS the claim, restated.
Read the full guide →Anecdotal evidence
Treating a personal story as if it outweighs the data.
“My grandfather smoked daily and lived to 95.”
Spot it: One vivid story standing in for the statistics.
Read the full guide →Bandwagon
Arguing something is true or right because many believe it.
“Everyone's switching — how can millions be wrong?”
Spot it: Popularity is doing all the work in the argument.
Read the full guide →Moving goalposts
Raising the standard of proof after each demand is met.
“Fine, one study — but I meant TEN studies.”
Spot it: Every satisfied demand quietly becomes 'not enough'.
Read the full guide →Red herring
Dragging in an irrelevant point to pull the debate off course.
“The bridge safety report? Let's talk about how well the new library turned out.”
Spot it: The reply changes the subject instead of answering the point.
Read the full guide →Tu quoque
Dismissing a criticism because the critic is guilty of it too.
“You say I should recycle — you drive an SUV.”
Spot it: 'You do it too' is offered as if it answered the charge.
Read the full guide →Appeal to emotion
Swapping reasons for feelings — fear, pity, pride, outrage.
“Picture the crying children — no decent person could oppose this.”
Spot it: The pull is in the gut; the premises are missing.
Read the full guide →False cause
Assuming that because one thing followed another, the first caused it.
“We hired a new coach and started losing — he's the reason.”
Spot it: Sequence or correlation is presented as proof of cause.
Read the full guide →Hasty generalization
Drawing a sweeping rule from a handful of cases.
“Two rude waiters — the whole city is rude.”
Spot it: A tiny sample is stretched into a claim about everyone.
Read the full guide →Loaded question
A question that smuggles in an assumption nobody has proven.
“Why do you keep defending a policy you know hurts families?”
Spot it: Any direct answer concedes something never established.
Read the full guide →How Arguen scores them
Every argument is scored out of 80 across Clarity, Evidence, Logic, and Rebuttal. Each fallacy the Oracle detects then subtracts a penalty and lands on your scorecard with its name, the exact quote, and a one-sentence explanation — so every match teaches you something about how you think.