Straw Man
Straw Man Fallacy
Giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent.
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Origin
The phrase "man of straw" dates to 1620 as "an easily refuted imaginary opponent," with figurative use documented by 1896. Though Aristotle made remarks suggesting similar concerns, the straw man fallacy's formal identification is relatively recent. Philosopher Douglas N. Walton identified its first textbook inclusion as an informal fallacy in Stuart Chase's Guides to Straight Thinking (1956). The term evokes a human figure made of straw—easy to knock down, like a training dummy or scarecrow.
Updated February 22, 2026