Logical Fallacies - Week 12 & 13 UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER -
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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - Falsely assuming
that there are only two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing against the
other.
, The Egyptians built the Great Pyramid to align with the magnetic north. Since they didn't have
compasses that is either a complete coincidence or aliens helped them. There is no way the Great
Pyramid is a coincidence. Therefore aliens helped them.
GENETIC FALLACY - CORRECT ANSWER - Arguing that a statement is false or the
argument is week because of the source (i.e., the genesis) of that statement or argument
PERSON 1: Your uncle told me that I should start saving for retirement in my twenties because
then my retirement investments will have much more time to grow, and I'll end up with a lot of
money when I retire.
PERSON 2: What!? Don't listen to my uncle. He gives terrible advice.
HASTY GENERALIZATION - CORRECT ANSWER - Arguing for a sweeping
generalization on the basis of too few examples or examples that are not representative of the
group as a whole.
Only one of my friends was enthusiastic about I Hillary Clinton for president. therefore very few
Americans were enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton for
president.
POST HOC FALLACY (POST HOC, ERGO PROPTER HOC) - CORRECT ANSWER -
Illegitimately arguing that because one event happened after another event, the earlier event
caused the later event. From a Latin phrase meaning "after this, therefore because of this."
1 got a flu shot, and the next day I came down with the flu. 1he flu shot must have given me the
flu.
Principle of Charity - CORRECT ANSWER - we should interpret someone else's
argument in a way that makes them strongest or most reasonable
charitable interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER - An interpretation that makes an
argument or statement seem as strong or reasonable as possible
uncharitable interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER - an interpretation of an argument or
statement that makes it seem particularly weak or unreasonable
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER -
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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - 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 ANSWER - Falsely assuming
that there are only two options in order to argue for oa11 111 1hcm simply by arguing against the
other.
, The Egyptians built the Great Pyramid to align with the magnetic north. Since they didn't have
compasses that is either a complete coincidence or aliens helped them. There is no way the Great
Pyramid is a coincidence. Therefore aliens helped them.
GENETIC FALLACY - CORRECT ANSWER - Arguing that a statement is false or the
argument is week because of the source (i.e., the genesis) of that statement or argument
PERSON 1: Your uncle told me that I should start saving for retirement in my twenties because
then my retirement investments will have much more time to grow, and I'll end up with a lot of
money when I retire.
PERSON 2: What!? Don't listen to my uncle. He gives terrible advice.
HASTY GENERALIZATION - CORRECT ANSWER - Arguing for a sweeping
generalization on the basis of too few examples or examples that are not representative of the
group as a whole.
Only one of my friends was enthusiastic about I Hillary Clinton for president. therefore very few
Americans were enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton for
president.
POST HOC FALLACY (POST HOC, ERGO PROPTER HOC) - CORRECT ANSWER -
Illegitimately arguing that because one event happened after another event, the earlier event
caused the later event. From a Latin phrase meaning "after this, therefore because of this."
1 got a flu shot, and the next day I came down with the flu. 1he flu shot must have given me the
flu.
Principle of Charity - CORRECT ANSWER - we should interpret someone else's
argument in a way that makes them strongest or most reasonable
charitable interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER - An interpretation that makes an
argument or statement seem as strong or reasonable as possible
uncharitable interpretation - CORRECT ANSWER - an interpretation of an argument or
statement that makes it seem particularly weak or unreasonable
