What does the fallacy of irrelevance refer to?

The fallacy of irrelevance refers specifically to the error of presenting reasoning or evidence that does not directly relate to the argument being made. This can occur when a speaker or writer diverts the conversation to an unrelated topic, thereby failing to address the actual issue at hand. For instance, if someone is arguing about the need for climate change action and instead discusses their favorite movie, that would be an example of presenting irrelevant reasoning.

This fallacy undermines the logical progression of an argument because it does not promote clarity or connection between the points being made. In contrast, the other options address different types of logical fallacies or errors in reasoning: insufficient evidence pertains to the quality of support for the argument, inappropriate presumption involves taking for granted information that isn't justified, and self-contradiction occurs when an argument undermines itself by making contradictory statements. Thus, choosing the answer that highlights the presentation of reasoning that does not apply to the argument is the most fitting interpretation of the fallacy of irrelevance.