← Glossary
Logic

Straw Man

A fallacy of misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

The straw man fallacy involves substituting a distorted or exaggerated version of an opponent's position, then refuting that weaker version as if it were the real argument.

**Example:** 'Christians believe in a magical sky wizard.' This caricature ignores the sophisticated philosophical theology of figures like Aquinas, Maximus the Confessor, and Hart.

Debby's Steelman approach is the deliberate opposite of the straw man — the platform helps every worldview present its *strongest* possible argument.