Straw Man: Distorting the Opposing View

Spot arguments that defeat an exaggerated version of the other side.

A straw man fallacy misrepresents an opponent's position, usually by exaggerating or simplifying it, and then attacks the distorted version. The name comes from the image of a scarecrow: easy to knock down because no real person is defending it. Worked example: Speaker A says, 'I think we should limit phone use during class time. ' Speaker B responds, 'So you want to ban all technology from school and send us back to the Stone Age? ' Speaker A proposed a limit during class; Speaker B attacked a total ban on technology.

Defeating the exaggerated version proves nothing about the actual proposal. To detect a straw man, compare the opponent's original words with the version being attacked. Watch for signal phrases like 'So what you're really saying is' and 'They want to,' followed by an extreme claim. The fair alternative, sometimes called steel-manning, restates the opposing view in its strongest form before responding.

• 1A straw man attacks a distorted version of an argument.
• 2Compare the original words with the version being attacked.
• 3Steel-manning restates the opposing view at its strongest.