Ch. 6 Quiz: Logical Fallacies -II
All analogies are weak.
False
If an arguer poses a question that contains an unfair or unwarranted presupposition, the arguer commits the fallacy of false alternatives.
False
In the appeal to ignorance fallacy, the arguer falsely accuses another arguer of being ignorant.
False
The fact that two things are correlated is never a good indication that they are causally related.
False
The following passage illustrates the fallacy of false alternatives: "No one really knows for sure what happens to us when we die. But there is one thing we do know for sure: Either there is a life after death or there is not a life after death."
False
Judith Thomson argues that abortion can be morally permissible. She is a well- respected bioethicist. So abortion must be permissible sometimes.
Inappropriate appeal to authority; this issue cannot be settled by expert opinion
An extensive, diligent search of the zoo failed to find any trace of the missing gorilla. Therefore, the gorilla probably isn't in the zoo. It must have escaped.
No fallacy
The Pew Forum, a respected polling organization, released a poll in which they surveyed a random selection of the millennial generation (those born after 1981) and found that they are less religiously active than those from the previous few generations. The poll is probably accurate.
No fallacy
Legislators in Texas want to make it a criminal offense for citizens not to use seat belts when they drive. Mark my words: If they get away with this, it won't be long before they ban beer drinking and cigarette smoking. Then they will restrict our intake of cholesterol, perhaps setting up cholesterol testing sites along major highways. We must not let this infringement of our liberties get started, or there will be no stopping it.
Slippery slope
Some people advocate lowering the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. I oppose that. If we lower the drinking age to eighteen, why not sixteen? And if sixteen, why not twelve? Pretty soon, we would have a roomful of drunks in third grade!
Slippery slope
An arguer commits the fallacy of loaded question when he or she poses a question that contains an unfair or unwarranted presupposition.
True
If an arguer cites a statement by a witness in support of a conclusion and there is good reason to doubt the accuracy of the witness's observations, the arguer commits the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority.
True
Not all slippery slope arguments are fallacious.
True
Some claims are so inherently debtabale that they cannot be settled by appeals to expert opinion.
True
The following statement is a generalization: "Most Americans are concerned about the environment."
True
The post hoc fallacy is one common variety of the questionable cause fallacy.
True
Every Republican I see on TV is a rich white guy. Therefore all Republicans are rich white guys.
hasty generalization
I was six years old and an only child, and I yearned to have a dog for a pet. My parents got me a cocker spaniel. I was happy beyond words. I named the dog Pooch, but as it turned out, I should have called him Lout, Thug, or Stinker. That dog was perfectly awful—vicious, disobedient, pathologically territorial, and it refused to be housebroken. I learned my lesson the hard way: cocker spaniels make dreadful pets. Don't even think about getting one.
hasty generalization
It rains a lot in San Diego during the summer. I know because I spent two weekends in San Diego last summer, and both times it rained like cats and dogs.
hasty generalization
Most Hollywood movie stars believe in reincarnation. I know because I read it in a British tabloid.
inappropriate appeal to authority
The famous novelist Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and other great works of fiction, held that near-sightedness can be corrected by eye exercises. Given the opinion of so eminent a person as Huxley, we may be confident that near-sightedness can indeed be corrected by eye exercises.
inappropriate appeal to authority
The Flat Earth Society says that the Earth is a flat circle, with the North Pole at the center and giant mountains of ice around the circumference to keep boats and planes from going off the edge. So I guess the earth is flat after all.
inappropriate appeal to authority; source's claim conflicts with expert opinion and reliability of the source is questionable
My psychologist said that quantum mechanics proves that the Eastern mystic doctrine of oneness is true, so it must be.
inappropriate appeal to authority; the cited source is presumably not an authority on the subject.
Dear Professor Lott: I can't believe you took off points from my paper because it contained numerous spelling errors. You sea, I always spell-check whatever eye right, sew I no my writings contain know spelling errors.
inconsistency
Your accusation that I am a verbose windbag is completely unfounded. I've never uttered a sentence in my life that contained more than twelve words.
inconsistency
When are you going to stop cheating on exams? You can't stop? Then you must have been cheating.
loaded question
ABC News reported that the mayor of Toledo was killed in a plane crash today. Given the credibility of the source, the story is probably true.
no fallacy
Billy, I know you want to go to school today, but you have the flu and you should stay home. If you go to school, you might give the flu to some of your friends and classmates. They, in turn, might give it to their friends and classmates. Eventually, lots of students might get sick.
no fallacy
I know we're looking for 27 Walnut St., but I have looked at every house on this block and none of them is number 27. We must be on the wrong street.
no fallacy
The Supreme Court's ruling in the Citizens United case made it legal for corporations to funnel unlimited funds to political campaigns without any accountability or transparency. That ruling is mostly responsible for the massive influx of corporate money and the overwhelming number of political ads we've seen in recent U.S. elections.
no fallacy
Every time I've gone to the concession stand for a beer the basketball team has gone on a scoring streak. Hmm, two minutes to go and the team is trailing by six. I guess it's about time for a beer.
questionable cause
Immediately after the governor spoke at the outdoor rally, a bolt of lightning struck City Hall, injuring several people. For the safety of all the residents of this city, it is imperative that the governor not be asked to speak here again.
questionable cause
Every time my dog barks at the front door I always find mail in my mailbox. I guess my dog has the power to make mail appear.
questionable cause; post hoc
90-year-old Bill Tucker has asked to be released from prison because he is old, infirm, and dying of brain cancer. Unfortunately, Mr. Tucker's request will have to be denied. If we release Mr. Tucker, we would have to release prisoners that are even less deserving than he is. Eventually, any prisoner with a stomach ache or a stubbed toe could successfully petition for early release.
slippery slope
If a person accepts a claim on the say-so of an alleged witness or authority, and there is good reason to believe that the alleged witness or authority is biased, then the person commits the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority.
true
The following argument commits the fallacy of false alternatives: On my 21st birthday, I can either get drunk or smoke crack. I don't like drinking, so I guess I'll have to smoke crack.
true
The following argument illustrates the questionable cause fallacy: "Many students high school students sleep through first period. Clearly, many high school students stay up too late studying."
true
The following two statements are inconsistent: Atoms are material objects. Atoms have no size or shape.
ture
Green tea is leafy, green, aromatic, and tastes great as an iced or hot beverage. Marijuana is also leafy, green, and aromatic. Therefore, marijuana tastes great as an iced or hot beverage, too.
weak analogy
No one objects to a lawyer looking up a legal case during a trial. Why, then, shouldn't students be permitted to look up an answer during an exam?
weak analogy