Question 1

The essential elements that one should strive for in any moral essay or conversation include:
A)a claim to be proved and an argument for or against the claim
B)equivocation and appeal to authority
C)consideration of alternative views
D)answers (a)and (c)

Accepted Answer

A moral essay or conversation should have a claim that is supported by an argument and also consider alternative views to provide a well-rounded perspective. Equivocation and appeal to authority should be avoided as they can weaken the argument. Therefore, the best choice is D, which includes a claim to be proved, an argument for or against the claim, and consideration of alternative views.

Question 2

What is the fallacy used in the following passage?
Passage: John argues that active euthanasia is sometimes morally acceptable.But we can reject out of hand anything he has to say because he's an ultraconservative.
A)equivocation
B)begging the question
C)appeal to authority
D)appeal to the person

Accepted Answer

The fallacy used in the passage is appeal to the person, also known as ad hominem. It involves rejecting an argument based on a negative characteristic of the person making the argument, rather than addressing the actual substance of the argument itself. In this case, John's argument is dismissed solely based on his political views, rather than addressing the arguments he presents in favor of active euthanasia being morally acceptable.

Question 3

The fallacy of drawing a conclusion about an entire group of people or things based on an undersized sample of the group is known as:
A)hasty generalization.
B)begging the question.
C)slippery slope.
D)faulty analogy.

Accepted Answer

Hasty generalization is the fallacy of drawing a conclusion about a group based on a sample size that is too small. This can lead to inaccurate assumptions and stereotypes about the entire group.

Question 4

What is the fallacy used in the following passage known as?
Passage: Liberals believe in abortion on demand,which means that killing a baby is permissible any time at all.At conception,in the second trimester,at infancy-any of these would be appropriate times to kill a baby,says the liberal.
A)appeal to the person
B)begging the question
C)straw man
D)equivocation

Accepted Answer

The passage presents a distorted and exaggerated version of the liberal stance on abortion in order to argue against it. This is known as the straw man fallacy.

Question 5

What is the fallacy used in the following passage known as?
Passage: No one can prove that a fetus is not a person from the moment of conception.So a fetus must be accorded full moral rights as soon as it is conceived.
A)appeal to ignorance
B)appeal to the person
C)slippery slope
D)faulty analogy

Accepted Answer

The fallacy used in the passage is appeal to ignorance, as it is assumed that because something cannot be proven false, it must be true. The premise that a fetus is a person from the moment of conception has not been proven, so it cannot be used as a basis for according full moral rights to the fetus.

Question 6

What is the fallacy used in the following passage known as?
Passage: If marijuana is legalized,young people will assume that smoking marijuana is socially acceptable,and that will lead them to give into the temptation to smoke marijuana themselves.And smoking marijuana can ruin their lives.Therefore,marijuana should not be legalized.
A)straw man
B)slippery slope
C)appeal to the person
D)appeal to ignorance

Accepted Answer

The passage uses the slippery slope fallacy by assuming that legalizing marijuana will inevitably lead young people to try it and ruin their lives. It presents a series of unsubstantiated assumptions and hypothetical scenarios without any evidence to support them.

Quiz 3: Evaluating Moral Arguments

The essential elements that one should strive for in any moral essay or conversation include:

What is the fallacy used in the following passage? Passage: John argues that active euthanasia is sometimes morally acceptable.But we can reject out of hand anything he has to say because he's an ultraconservative.

The fallacy of drawing a conclusion about an entire group of people or things based on an undersized sample of the group is known as:

What is the fallacy used in the following passage known as? Passage: Liberals believe in abortion on demand,which means that killing a baby is permissible any time at all.At conception,in the second trimester,at infancy-any of these would be appropriate times to kill a baby,says the liberal.

What is the fallacy used in the following passage known as? Passage: No one can prove that a fetus is not a person from the moment of conception.So a fetus must be accorded full moral rights as soon as it is conceived.