Consider the reasoning expressed by the speaker in this passage: "We were having a severe midwinter cold spell. The city was running out of heating oil for private home use. So the city ordered everyone to set their home thermostats down to 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 62 at night. But I set my thermostat at 67 during the day and 64 at night. I reasoned this way. It is in my best interest to cheat just a little by keeping our house a bit warmer. In fact, it is in the best interest of each person who lives in the city to do the same thing. So it follows that it is in the city's best interest if everyone were to cheat just a little." We can reasonably evaluate the speaker's inference as __________.
A) valid because of affirming the antecedent
B) valid because of disjunctive syllogism
C) a fallacy of false classification
D) a fallacy of false reference
E) a fallacy of composition

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speaker's inference is a fallacy of composition, which occurs when one assumes that what is true for individual members of a group is also true for the group as a whole. In this case, the speaker wrongly assumes that if it's in each individual's best interest to keep their house warmer, then it's in the city's best interest for everyone to do so, ignoring the collective impact of such actions.

Consider the Reasoning Expressed by the Speaker in This Passage