Logical Fallacies - Week 12 & 13 Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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.
ANECDOTAL FALLACY - ✔✔Using personal anecdotes or vivid examples, rather than
adequate data, to support a broad generalization.
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,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) - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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.
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, PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
COMPOSITION - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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) - ✔✔Falsely assuming that there are only
two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing against the other.
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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.
ANECDOTAL FALLACY - ✔✔Using personal anecdotes or vivid examples, rather than
adequate data, to support a broad generalization.
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,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) - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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) - ✔✔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.
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
, PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
COMPOSITION - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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 - ✔✔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) - ✔✔Falsely assuming that there are only
two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing against the other.
Brittie Donald, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
