eli5 Whats a “Straw man fallacy”?

Question

eli5 Whats a “Straw man fallacy”?

In: Other

Answer 1

Consider for a moment what a physical “straw man” is — it’s a human figure, sure, but it’s weaker (because it’s made of straw and not flesh and bone) and easier to defeat (because it can’t fight back — it moves as you direct it).

This is the essence of a “straw man argument” — it refers to a deliberately mis-represented position that you argue against because it’s easier than the actual position.