Logical Fallacies Exam Questions
with Answers
Ad Hominem - -Attacking the opponent instead of the opponent's argument;
attack sometimes involve name-calling
- Red herring - -The arguer goes off on a tangent midway through the
argument, raising a side issue that distracts the audience from the actual
argument
- Equivocation - -To slide between two or more different meanings of a word
or phrase that is critical to the argument
- Non sequitur - -A conclusion or statement that does not logically follow
from the previous argument or statement; literally means "that does not
follow"
- False/weak analogy - -Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or
more objects, ideas, or situations
- Circular reasoning - -Similar to begging the question; a logical fallacy in
which the reasoner begins with what they are trying to end with
- False premise - -When the premise of the syllogism is faulty, leading to a
wrong conclusion
- Appeal to pity - -Attempting to convince an individual to accept a
conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone
- Appeal to ignorance - -Because there is no conclusive evidence, we should
therefore accept the arguer'a conclusions on the subject
- Genetic fallacy - -When an idea is accepted or rejected based solely on
where it came from
- Slippery slope (exaggeration) - -Falsely assuming that one thing will
inevitably lead to another, and another, and another, until we have reached
some unavoidable dire consequence
- Oversimplification - -Occurs when a few possible causes are reduced to
only one or two
- Hasty generalization - -Making assumptions about an entire group of
people, or a range of cases based on an inadequately small sample
with Answers
Ad Hominem - -Attacking the opponent instead of the opponent's argument;
attack sometimes involve name-calling
- Red herring - -The arguer goes off on a tangent midway through the
argument, raising a side issue that distracts the audience from the actual
argument
- Equivocation - -To slide between two or more different meanings of a word
or phrase that is critical to the argument
- Non sequitur - -A conclusion or statement that does not logically follow
from the previous argument or statement; literally means "that does not
follow"
- False/weak analogy - -Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or
more objects, ideas, or situations
- Circular reasoning - -Similar to begging the question; a logical fallacy in
which the reasoner begins with what they are trying to end with
- False premise - -When the premise of the syllogism is faulty, leading to a
wrong conclusion
- Appeal to pity - -Attempting to convince an individual to accept a
conclusion by making them feel sorry for someone
- Appeal to ignorance - -Because there is no conclusive evidence, we should
therefore accept the arguer'a conclusions on the subject
- Genetic fallacy - -When an idea is accepted or rejected based solely on
where it came from
- Slippery slope (exaggeration) - -Falsely assuming that one thing will
inevitably lead to another, and another, and another, until we have reached
some unavoidable dire consequence
- Oversimplification - -Occurs when a few possible causes are reduced to
only one or two
- Hasty generalization - -Making assumptions about an entire group of
people, or a range of cases based on an inadequately small sample
