Chapter 5: Review Activity
Doesn't it ruin your day when your smartphone battery dies early in the day? Which of the following arguments or assumptions are concealed within this personal taste appeal? Check all that apply.
✱ It is normal to use your smartphone so much during the day that the battery dies relatively quickly. ✱ You deeply value the ease of communication that a smartphone provides. ✱ You own a smartphone.
Hasty generalization
A teenager sideswiped my car. This incident proves that all teenagers are bad drivers.
Questioning your own basic assumptions will help ensure that your argument is not flawed on a fundamental level.
"In class today my professor talked a lot about questioning your own basic assumptions when forming an argument. I'm still not sure why it's important to do this, though. Do you know?" What would you say to help this student?
Either/or
In his campaign speech, the nominee told the audience that we can either vote for him or vote for four years of economy-ruining tax increases.
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc
After a priest administers last rites to an ill patient, the patient typically dies. We should take action to ban the administration of last rites before this tradition harms more people!
Slippery slope
Alcohol is an addictive drug, and people who drink inevitably go on to become alcoholics and die of liver disease, dementia, or brain damage.
Bandwagon
All of Chad's neighbors drive hybrid electric vehicles. Therefore, Chad should buy a hybrid electric car, too.
Being able to survive life outside of school is more important than being able to do well on standardized tests.
Claim: Schools shouldn't place so much emphasis on standardized test preparation . . . Grounds: . . . because it limits the ability of teachers to help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to survive outside of school. Which statement expresses the underlying assumption that connects the claim and the grounds?
Doing errands in a blizzard is potentially dangerous and therefore not desirable.
Claim: We should get groceries this morning . . . Grounds: . . . because there's supposed to be a blizzard this afternoon. Which statement expresses the underlying assumption that connects the claim and the grounds?
Ad hominem
My father said that high student loan debt can make life after college very challenging—but how would he know? He graduated from college without any debt whatsoever.
✱ effective ✱ effective
Source A describes a commoner who became an ______________ queen, and Source B describes a commoner who became an _____________ queen.
Of the above syntheses, ____________ includes the perspective of all three sources.
The marriage between royalty and commoners can be successful as in the case of Rania Al Yassin to Prince Abdullah Bin Hussein of Jordan and Michiko Shoda to the Crown Prince of Japan, Prince Akihito. These women were well-matched to their husbands, and they had positive influences on their countries. On the other hand, the union between Prince Edward of England and Wallis Simpson was not a healthy arrangement, and they had a negative influence on how the royal family was perceived.
The marriage of Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson did not bring the couple happiness.
Which of the following is a paraphrase of the main idea of Source C?
A logical fallacy may seem like good logic, but it is often invalid and can present an inaccurate or underdeveloped argument.
Why is it important to watch out for logical fallacies in your writing and other people's writing?