material fallacy

logic

Also known as: fallacy in matter, fallacy of presumption

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

A material fallacy is a type of erroneous reasoning that is unsound due to an error concerning the subject matter of an argument. This contrasts with formal fallacies, which involve violations of the rules of formal inference.12

Material fallacies are also known as fallacies of presumption because their premises assume too much, either covertly assuming the conclusion or avoiding the issue. These fallacies can arise from a misstatement of facts. Examples include applying a general rule to a case where it doesn't fit, arguing from a specific case to a general rule improperly, or drawing a conclusion that is irrelevant to the premises. Other examples include circular arguments, mistaking temporal sequence for causation, and making too many assumptions in a question.3

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fallacy
Material fallacies
The material fallacies are also known as fallacies of presumption, because the premises “presume” too much—they either covertly assume the conclusion or avoid the issue in view.
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The material fallacies are also known as fallacies of presumption, because the premises “presume” too much—they either covertly assume the conclusion or avoid the issue in view.
Read More