Straw man fallacy meaning – UGC NET Question

The straw man fallacy occurs when someone sets up a distorted or exaggerated version of another's position and then attacks that weaker version. By doing so, they give the impression of having refuted the original argument without actually addressing it. This tactic creates a “straw” opponent that is easy to knock down but does not represent the real view. Thus the misrepresentation described in the stem is the straw man fallacy.

Option A:
Option A, appeal to pity, attempts to persuade by arousing sympathy rather than by offering relevant reasons. It exploits emotions but does not necessarily distort the opponent's position.

Option B:
Option B, slippery slope, argues that a small first step will inevitably lead to a chain of disastrous consequences, often without adequate support. It does not rely on misdescribing the opponent's actual view.

Option C:
Option C is correct because straw man explicitly names the strategy of attacking a caricature instead of the real argument. Recognising it encourages more honest engagement with others’ actual claims.

Option D:
Option D, red herring, introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the issue at hand. While both straw man and red herring distract, only straw man works by misrepresenting someone's position.