Logical Fallacies Exam Questions
with Complete Solutions
Ad hominem - -Personal attack
Ex: he's unfit to be governor because you drink too much when he was in
college
- appeal to tradition - -Argument this is something to be done in a certain
way said to because it has been done that way in the past
Ex: we should not allow women to attend A&M because A&M has always
been the school for men
- Bandwagon - -Argument saying in affect everyone is doing or saying or
thinking this so you should too
Ex: everyone else is cheating so why shouldn't you
- Begging the question - -Statement assumes what needs to be proved
Ex: We should fire the thieves in the Police Department
- Equivocation - -Assertion that falsely relies on the use of the term in two
different senses
Ex: we know this is a natural law because it feels natural
- False Analogy - -Assumption that because two things are alike in some
ways it must be a like in other ways
Ex: since the books are about the same length and cover the same material
one is probably as good as the other
- False Authority - -Assumption that an expert in one field can be a credible
expert in another
- False Cause - -The assumption that because one of them follows another
the first is the cause of the second
Ex: The roosters crowing makes the sunrise
- False Dilemma - -Stating the only two alternatives exist when in fact there
are more than two
Ex: we only have two choices to build more nuclear power plants or to be
completely dependent on foreign oil
- Guilt by association - -Unfair attempt to make someone responsible for the
beliefs or actions of others
with Complete Solutions
Ad hominem - -Personal attack
Ex: he's unfit to be governor because you drink too much when he was in
college
- appeal to tradition - -Argument this is something to be done in a certain
way said to because it has been done that way in the past
Ex: we should not allow women to attend A&M because A&M has always
been the school for men
- Bandwagon - -Argument saying in affect everyone is doing or saying or
thinking this so you should too
Ex: everyone else is cheating so why shouldn't you
- Begging the question - -Statement assumes what needs to be proved
Ex: We should fire the thieves in the Police Department
- Equivocation - -Assertion that falsely relies on the use of the term in two
different senses
Ex: we know this is a natural law because it feels natural
- False Analogy - -Assumption that because two things are alike in some
ways it must be a like in other ways
Ex: since the books are about the same length and cover the same material
one is probably as good as the other
- False Authority - -Assumption that an expert in one field can be a credible
expert in another
- False Cause - -The assumption that because one of them follows another
the first is the cause of the second
Ex: The roosters crowing makes the sunrise
- False Dilemma - -Stating the only two alternatives exist when in fact there
are more than two
Ex: we only have two choices to build more nuclear power plants or to be
completely dependent on foreign oil
- Guilt by association - -Unfair attempt to make someone responsible for the
beliefs or actions of others
