Logical Fallacies - Week 12 & 13 Exam
Questions and Answers 100%
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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.
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.
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,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.
PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
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, 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.
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
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©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
Questions and Answers 100%
Guaranteed 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.
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.
Page 1 of 25
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
,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.
PERSON 2: How do you know?
PERSON 1: He told me that all he wants is to help me find the best deal.
Page 2 of 25
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
, 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.
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
Page 3 of 25
©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
