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A straw man argument misrepresents an opposing argument to make it easier to defeat with a stronger counterargument. It is a fallacy of logic that can be used in various areas of life, including politics. The argument can be created by leaving out key points, quoting out of context, or presenting a weak defense as the entire argument. It is often used in conjunction with other logical fallacies. An example is a child asking for a dog to protect the family, and the parent refusing for reasons other than protection. Straw man arguments are commonly used in political campaigns to cast candidates in a bad light.
A straw man argument is a rhetorical device that is intended to easily demonstrate that one’s position or argument is superior to an opposing argument. However, this argument is considered a fallacy of logic, because at its core, the person using the device misrepresents the other person’s argument. The person does this because it becomes easier to break down the weaker version of the opposing argument with their more substantial counterargument. The term straw man comes from the use of scarecrows for military exercises, such as charges. In reality, a scarecrow is much easier to defeat than a real person.
The straw man argument, also called the straw dog or scarecrow, deliberately misrepresents and undermines the opposing side’s argument. This can be done by leaving out the key points of an opposing argument, quoting a person’s words out of context, or presenting a particular person’s poor defense as an opposing side’s entire defense. At worst, a straw man is literally an imaginary person who weakly defends an argument and can easily be defeated.
The straw man argument can be used in discussions in most areas of life, from politics, to business, to religion, to personal life. It is also often used in conjunction with other logical fallacies, such as red herring, slippery slope, and ad hominem. An example of this type of argument can be seen in the following hypothetical situation between a child and his parent:
Child: “Can we get a dog?”
Parent: “No.”
Child: “It would protect us.”
Parent: “Not yet.”
Child: “Why do you want to leave us and our home unprotected?”
The child in the above scenario might have a straw man argument if the parent’s reason for not getting a dog has nothing to do with protection but with other factors. Also, not having a dog isn’t necessarily proof that the parent doesn’t want to protect the family and home, as there are other means of protection.
Perhaps the easiest place to find straw man arguments is in the political sphere. A very effective argument of this type is to take a small bite out of a political candidate and use it to generalize about the person’s ability to hold political office. Using the straw man argument, these sound bites are often exploited in television and print ads, intentionally casting the candidate in a bad, if inaccurate, light. While most voters can and will see through the argument, many will accept the argument as truth and allow it to sway their opinion.
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