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Logically Fallacious
logicallyfallacious.com › home › search/browse fallacies › strawman fallacy
Strawman Fallacy - Logically Fallacious
Substituting a person’s actual position or argument with a distorted, exaggerated, or misrepresented version of the position of the argument.
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Your Logical Fallacy Is
yourlogicalfallacyis.com › strawman
Your logical fallacy is strawman
You misrepresented someone's argument to make it easier to attack.
Discussions

Eli5 what is a strawman argument?
It's called a "strawman" because a dummy made of straw is easy to knock over. And metaphorically, that's what you're doing with a "strawman argument": you're not attacking the position, you're creating a weak replica of the position that's easier to beat. One simple example of this would be: A. You argue that our country should spend less on the military. B. I counter that you want to abolish 100% of military spending. You want our country to be weak, our people to be helpless and the fate of the world left to dictators and thugs. Now, maybe that is what you think. It's not what you said. The reason I'm acting like you said that is that it's a much more extreme view—and one that you're probably going to find a lot more difficult to defend. Thus, I've made a strawman argument. More on reddit.com
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What makes strawman a fallacy?
Welcome to r/askphilosophy ! Please read our updated rules and guidelines before commenting. Currently, answers are only accepted by panelists (mod-approved flaired users), whether those answers are posted as top-level comments or replies to other comments. Non-panelists can participate in subsequent discussion, but are not allowed to answer question(s). Want to become a panelist? Check out this post . Please note: this is a highly moderated academic Q&A subreddit and not an open discussion, debate, change-my-view, or test-my-theory subreddit. Answers from users who are not panelists will be automatically removed. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
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People also ask

Is Strawman always invalid?
Strawman signals a weak reasoning pattern. Even if the conclusion is true, the path to it is unreliable and should be rebuilt with sound support.
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fallacyguide.com
fallacyguide.com › home › relevance fallacies › strawman
Strawman Fallacy: Definition, Examples & How to Fix It
Where does Strawman commonly appear?
You will find it in everyday debates, opinion columns, marketing claims, and quick social posts—anywhere speed or emotion encourages shortcuts.
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fallacyguide.com
fallacyguide.com › home › relevance fallacies › strawman
Strawman Fallacy: Definition, Examples & How to Fix It
Can Strawman ever be reasonable?
It can feel persuasive, but it remains logically weak. A careful version should replace the fallacious step with evidence or valid structure.
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fallacyguide.com
fallacyguide.com › home › relevance fallacies › strawman
Strawman Fallacy: Definition, Examples & How to Fix It
form of argument and an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent
Straw man - Wikipedia
A straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction. One who … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Named after straw man
Factsheet
Named after straw man
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Straw_man
Straw man - Wikipedia
1 month ago - A straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction. One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man".
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Excelsior OWL
owl.excelsior.edu › argument & critical thinking › logical fallacies › straw man fallacy
Straw Man Fallacy - Online Writing Lab - Excelsior University
April 24, 2024 - Panel Eight: Captain Logic swooshes in. The straw man cowers behind the executive. Captain Logic: Halt! Doctor Fallacy is using a Straw Man to misrepresent the argument! Scientist: Yeah! You’re arguing against points I never made.
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Logical Fallacy
logical-fallacy.com › articles › strawman
Strawman argument - Definition and Examples - Logical Fallacy
November 30, 2024 - In the realm of debate, a strawman argument involves distorting or oversimplifying an opponent’s views, position, or argument, creating a distorted or false version of the original stance. The debater then proceeds to attack this misrepresented view, which is far more vulnerable than the actual argument.
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Logical Fallacies
logicalfallacies.org › strawman.html
Strawman - Definition & Examples | LF
Overall, the Strawman fallacy is a logical fallacy that involves misrepresenting an opponent’s position in order to make it easier to attack. This type of fallacy is dangerous because it can lead to false conclusions and misrepresentations.
Find elsewhere
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Scribbr
scribbr.com › home › what is straw man fallacy? | definition & examples
What Is Straw Man Fallacy? | Definition & Examples
October 9, 2023 - Straw man fallacy is an informal logical fallacy. In other words, the problem lies in the content of the argument, rather than its structure (in which case it would be a formal fallacy).
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Fallacyguide
fallacyguide.com › home › relevance fallacies › strawman
Strawman Fallacy: Definition, Examples & How to Fix It
December 14, 2025 - A strawman replaces the real position with a weaker, exaggerated, or absurd version.
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Answers in Genesis
answersingenesis.org › logic › straw-man-fallacy
Logical Fallacies: Straw-Man Fallacy | Answers in Genesis
September 28, 2009 - This occurs when a person misrepresents an opponent’s position and then proceeds to refute that misrepresentation rather than what the opponent actually claims.
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Effectiviology
effectiviology.com › straw-man-arguments-recognize-counter-use
Strawman Arguments: What They Are and How to Counter Them – Effectiviology
Overall, since a strawman argument is fallacious because it distorts the stance that it argues against, the correct way to counter it, from a purely logical perspective, is to point out this distortion.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/askphilosophy › what makes strawman a fallacy?
r/askphilosophy on Reddit: What makes strawman a fallacy?
August 31, 2025 -

I'm genuinely struggling to identify what's the exact property of fallaciousness on the strawman fallacy. It's said to be an informal fallacy, and "informal fallacy" is defined as "a type of incorrect argument in informal language". I don't see how strawman even is an argument in the first place, rather than just a [dishonest] rhetorical approach or simply the misrepresentation of an external claim.

I don't see anybody commenting on this, so there must be something wrong with my interpretation. What am I missing or doing wrong?

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Southern Evangelical Seminary
ses.edu › home › blog › logical fallacies 101: “straw man”
Logical Fallacies 101: Straw Man
February 18, 2019 - Strawmen, scarecrows, and mannequins ... logical fallacies, a “straw man” argument is an argument that is framed in such a way that it is easy to “knock down” or dismantle....
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Grammarly
grammarly.com › blog › rhetorical-devices › straw-man-fallacy
What Is a Straw Man Argument? Definition and Examples | Grammarly
June 2, 2022 - ... A straw man argument, sometimes called a straw person argument or spelled strawman argument, is the logical fallacy of distorting an opposing position into an extreme version of itself and then arguing against that extreme version.
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BachelorPrint
bachelorprint.com › home › fallacies › straw man fallacy - definition, meaning & examples
Straw Man Fallacy ~ Definition, Meaning & Examples
February 13, 2025 - The straw man fallacy (also known as the strawman argument) is a form of logical fallacy or reasoning error. It occurs when someone intentionally oversimplifies, misrepresents, or exaggerates another person’s argument to make it easier to ...
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-strawman-logical-fallacy-and-why-is-it-so-common-in-politics
What is the 'strawman' logical fallacy and why is it so common in politics? - Quora
Answer (1 of 8): The strawman fallacy is a logical fallacy, in other words, an illogical argument. It is the name given to an argument where an exaggerated or misstated example is created for the sole purpose of attacking it (instead of the ...
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Philosocom
philosocom.com › post › how-the-strawman-s-fallacy-correlates-with-objective-importance
How The Strawman's Fallacy Correlates With Objective Importance
July 9, 2025 - The Strawman's Fallacy is a common logical fallacy that happens when a being or thing is either distorted or exaggerated beyond proportions, for the sake of rhetoric. For those new to the site, rhetoric is the art of convincing the other side.
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Whole Reason
wholereason.com › 2021 › 06 › logical-fallacies-stickman-strawman-steelman.html
Logical Fallacies: Stickman, Strawman, Steelman - Whole Reason
January 11, 2025 - The stick man is a reductionist representation of your or their argument where the argument is drastically reduced, and often, important clarifications are left out. As an opponent, you may do this to make the opponent’s arguments look weak, underdeveloped, or vulnerable to your attacks on their “unrefined and simplistic” ideas, which is a type of strawman attack.
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Microsoft
microsoft.com › home › writing › the straw man argument: definition and examples
The straw man argument: Definition and examples – Microsoft 365
October 28, 2024 - A straw man argument is a common type of logical fallacy that misconstrues the opponent’s position. Learn to identify a straw man fallacy and explore examples of these illogical arguments.
Top answer
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Here is the definition of a straw man argument from Wikipedia:

A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.

A problem with calling straw man arguments logical fallacies is that there may be no argument involving critical thinking going on. They may be deliberate attempts to attack an enemy by any means available including lying under a pretense of appearing rational.

Those using such straw man arguments win if they get more votes, power or popular opinion trending in their direction, not by clarifying the differences between opposing positions. These are more ethical failings rather than logical fallacies.

Here is Wikipedia again about the straw man technique used in polemical debate:

This technique has been used throughout history in polemical debate, particularly in arguments about highly charged emotional issues where a fiery "battle" and the defeat of an "enemy" may be more valued than critical thinking or an understanding of both sides of the issue.

Once the arguing ceases to be about critical thinking there is no point labeling what is going on as any kind of logical fallacy. If it were a logical fallacy and those arguing were more concerned with the argument than in attacking an enemy, then a fallacy should be easy to fix or accept, much like a typo or grammatical error.

The question the OP raises is whether a false description of an imaginary group in order to easily argue against that imaginary group is a straw man argument or not. Since there is no real opponent who takes this view, it is hard to call it a logical argument or even a polemical debate.

Such an argument, however, might be a caricature of a straw man argument and labeled a comedy or a form of sarcasm. This assumes the audience listening to such an argument sees an analogy between the bogus argument that is being presented and some real straw man arguments they have heard.


Reference

Wikipedia, "Straw man" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man