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Topic switching

Moving to a different question before the original question has been answered.

Published 04 August 2026Updated 04 August 2026

Topic switching breaks an argument's continuity by replacing the disputed issue with a new one. The new topic may deserve discussion, but it should be handled separately after the original claim is answered or explicitly set aside.

Sources

Fallacies (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy / 2024 / Website

Canonical philosophical treatment of fallacy types.