Logical Fallacies - Week 12 & 13 Exam
Questions and Answers
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that a statement is
true because an authority fi1111 said so, especially when the statement is outside the
authority figure's :111 .1 , ,I expertise.
Philosophy is useless. 7he astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson said so.
AD HOMINEM (AGAINST THE PERSON) - Correct Answers -Criticizing the person who
makes a claim or argument rather than criticizing the claim or argument itself
PERSON 1: 7he federal government shouldn't raise the minimum wage because that
would lead to a lot of poor people losing their jobs.
PERSON 2: You don't really care about poor people! You're just a se(fish, rich jerk who
is worried that goods and services will become more expensive for you personally if the
minimum wage goes up.
Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly
casting doubt on their character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their
argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to undermine someone's case without
actually having to engage with it.
Example of ad hominem fallacy - Correct Answers -After Sally presents an eloquent and
compelling case for a more equitable taxation system, Sam asks the audience whether
we should believe anything from a woman who isn't married, was once arrested, and
smells a bit weird.
black and white fallacy - Correct Answers -You presented two alternative states as the
only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.
false cause fallacy - Correct Answers -You presumed that a real or perceived
relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other.
Special Pleading Fallacy - Correct Answers -You moved the goalposts or made up an
exception when your claim was shown to be false.
ANECDOTAL FALLACY - Correct Answers -Using personal anecdotes or vivid
examples, rather than adequate data, to support a broad generalization.
, My great-grandmother smoked four packs a day for seventy years, and she never, got
lung cancer. 7herefore, cigarettes don't really cause lung cancer.
APPEAL TO IGNORANCE (AD IGNORATIUM) - Correct Answers -Arguing that
something is true because it can't be proven false. PERSON 1: Airplanes are secretly
spraying chemicals to control our minds! PERSON 2: 7hat s a nonsense conspiracy
theory.
PERSON 1: Can you prove that its not happening?
APPEAL TO NATURE - Correct Answers -Arguing that something is good because it's
natural or that it's bad because it's unnatural or artificial.
It's much better to treat illness using natural herbs than with pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceuticals are full of artificial chemicals!
APPEAL TO POPULARITY (AD POPULUM) - Correct Answers -Arguing that something
is true because everyone believes it or that something is good because everyone likes
it.
Most Americans agree that the death penalty deters crime. 7herefore, the death penalty
does deter crime.
CIRCULAR REASONING (BEGGING THE QUESTION) - Correct Answers -Including or
assuming your conclusion as one of your premises-often as a hidden premise.
PERRSON 1: 7his salesman is trustworthy; he's not going to try to sell me something I
don't need just to get the commission.
PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
COMPOSITION - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that because something is
true of each part of something, it's also true of the whole; or that because something is
true of each member of a group, it's true of the group as a whole.
My greenhouse gas emissions don't make any difference to the climate. Nor does my
neighbor's, or my friend's, or any other individual's emissions. 1herefore, humanity's
greenhouse gas emissions don't make any difference to the climate.
DIVISION - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that because something is true of a
group or thing as a whole, it's also true of each part.
The United States is rich. 1herefore, all Americans are rich.
EQUIVOCATION - Correct Answers -Using the same word or phrase in two different
ways to make it seem like an argument that works when it really doesn't.
This school is a drug-free zone. Caffeine is a drug, and coffee has caffeine in it.
Therefore coffee isn't allowed in this school
FALSE DICHOTOMY (FALSE DILEMMA) - Correct Answers -Falsely assuming that
there are only two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing
against the other.
Questions and Answers
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that a statement is
true because an authority fi1111 said so, especially when the statement is outside the
authority figure's :111 .1 , ,I expertise.
Philosophy is useless. 7he astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson said so.
AD HOMINEM (AGAINST THE PERSON) - Correct Answers -Criticizing the person who
makes a claim or argument rather than criticizing the claim or argument itself
PERSON 1: 7he federal government shouldn't raise the minimum wage because that
would lead to a lot of poor people losing their jobs.
PERSON 2: You don't really care about poor people! You're just a se(fish, rich jerk who
is worried that goods and services will become more expensive for you personally if the
minimum wage goes up.
Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly
casting doubt on their character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their
argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to undermine someone's case without
actually having to engage with it.
Example of ad hominem fallacy - Correct Answers -After Sally presents an eloquent and
compelling case for a more equitable taxation system, Sam asks the audience whether
we should believe anything from a woman who isn't married, was once arrested, and
smells a bit weird.
black and white fallacy - Correct Answers -You presented two alternative states as the
only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist.
false cause fallacy - Correct Answers -You presumed that a real or perceived
relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other.
Special Pleading Fallacy - Correct Answers -You moved the goalposts or made up an
exception when your claim was shown to be false.
ANECDOTAL FALLACY - Correct Answers -Using personal anecdotes or vivid
examples, rather than adequate data, to support a broad generalization.
, My great-grandmother smoked four packs a day for seventy years, and she never, got
lung cancer. 7herefore, cigarettes don't really cause lung cancer.
APPEAL TO IGNORANCE (AD IGNORATIUM) - Correct Answers -Arguing that
something is true because it can't be proven false. PERSON 1: Airplanes are secretly
spraying chemicals to control our minds! PERSON 2: 7hat s a nonsense conspiracy
theory.
PERSON 1: Can you prove that its not happening?
APPEAL TO NATURE - Correct Answers -Arguing that something is good because it's
natural or that it's bad because it's unnatural or artificial.
It's much better to treat illness using natural herbs than with pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceuticals are full of artificial chemicals!
APPEAL TO POPULARITY (AD POPULUM) - Correct Answers -Arguing that something
is true because everyone believes it or that something is good because everyone likes
it.
Most Americans agree that the death penalty deters crime. 7herefore, the death penalty
does deter crime.
CIRCULAR REASONING (BEGGING THE QUESTION) - Correct Answers -Including or
assuming your conclusion as one of your premises-often as a hidden premise.
PERRSON 1: 7his salesman is trustworthy; he's not going to try to sell me something I
don't need just to get the commission.
PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
COMPOSITION - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that because something is
true of each part of something, it's also true of the whole; or that because something is
true of each member of a group, it's true of the group as a whole.
My greenhouse gas emissions don't make any difference to the climate. Nor does my
neighbor's, or my friend's, or any other individual's emissions. 1herefore, humanity's
greenhouse gas emissions don't make any difference to the climate.
DIVISION - Correct Answers -Illegitimately arguing that because something is true of a
group or thing as a whole, it's also true of each part.
The United States is rich. 1herefore, all Americans are rich.
EQUIVOCATION - Correct Answers -Using the same word or phrase in two different
ways to make it seem like an argument that works when it really doesn't.
This school is a drug-free zone. Caffeine is a drug, and coffee has caffeine in it.
Therefore coffee isn't allowed in this school
FALSE DICHOTOMY (FALSE DILEMMA) - Correct Answers -Falsely assuming that
there are only two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing
against the other.
