It looks like there is somebody with more spare time on his hands than I do. A philosophy PhD by the name of Gary Curtis has compiled this extensive catalogue of logical fallacies, along with a blog to track recent offenses. Before you think “what a nerd” and close this tab, let me just say that I agree with you. But, also, somehow, this guy makes reading about logical fallacies actually really interesting.

The key, I think, is that he chooses to illustrate the fallacies with examples taken from real literature–court decisions, essays, speeches, some written by very famous and respected people. Besides being much more subtle than the typical textbook examples, these passages highlight the much more complicated nature of logic and truth in writing. Some of them aren’t even, strictly speaking, fallacious, but simply demonstrate the linguistic pitfalls that are likely to befall anyone demanding true philosophical rigor from their writing.

If nothing else, the examples are good for a few laughs. For example, can you guess what fallacy this quote is intended to demonstrate?

…[I]f once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination. Once begin upon this downward path, you never know where you are to stop. Many a man has dated his ruin from some murder or other that perhaps he thought little of at the time.

Hint: click here.