Question 1

An argument that only presents you with two options is always fallacious.

Accepted Answer

Such an argument might be employing a false dilemma fallacy if it incorrectly suggests that only two alternatives exist when in fact there are more. However, in situations where there genuinely are only two options, presenting them does not constitute a fallacy.

Question 2

"All workers deserve to be treated with respect and paid a decent, living wage. Therefore, I pay all the employees at my chicken processing plant at least a nickel above the minimum wage and give them a half day off for Christmas and New Year's." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of inconsistency is present because the speaker claims to support fair treatment and living wages but only offers minimal benefits that do not align with the initial statement of respect and decent wages.

Question 3

"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, and 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." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of hasty generalization is present because the speaker concludes that all cocker spaniels make dreadful pets based on a single negative experience with one cocker spaniel.

Question 4

The fact that two things are correlated is never a good indication that they are causally related.

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not imply causation, but it can be a good indication that there might be a causal relationship worth investigating further. Correlation is often the first step in identifying potential causal relationships, which then need to be tested through controlled experiments or more rigorous statistical analysis.

Question 5

"We shouldn't let gays get married. If we do, before you know it, people will be marrying their brothers and sisters, animals, plants, multiple people, inanimate objects-it will be chaos. It will be a mockery of marriage. We can't let that happen." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The slippery-slope fallacy is identified in this example because it suggests that allowing gay marriage will inevitably lead to extreme and unrelated outcomes without providing a logical basis for such a progression.

Question 6

An arguer is guilty of the fallacy of composition when he or she assumes, without good reason, that what is true of the parts is also true of the whole.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of composition occurs when one incorrectly assumes that what is true for individual parts must also be true for the whole group or system.

Question 7

"Two years ago, I drank a Pond Water Lite beer; the beer was watery and tasteless. Six months ago, I drank a Pond Water Lite beer; the beer was watery and tasteless. Two weeks ago, I drank a Pond Water Lite beer; the beer was watery and tasteless. I guess all Pond Water Lite beers are watery and tasteless." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Two years ago, I drank a Pond...

Question 8

"Green tea is leafy, green, and aromatic. It tastes great as a cold or hot beverage. Marijuana is also leafy, green, and aromatic. Therefore, marijuana should taste great as a cold or hot beverage, too." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The argument commits the weak analogy fallacy by comparing two things (green tea and marijuana) that are similar in some respects (leafy, green, and aromatic) but might not be similar in other crucial respects affecting the conclusion (taste as a beverage).

Question 9

"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." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The statement does not contain a logical fallacy; it presents a conclusion based on a survey conducted by a respected organization, suggesting a reasonable method of data collection and analysis.

Question 10

"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." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The statement does not fit any of the listed fallacies. It is a logical conclusion based on the evidence available, not a fallacy.

Question 11

The fallacy of false alternatives need not be explicitly expressed in "either-or" form.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of false alternatives can also be implied or suggested through the context or framing of an argument, not just stated in an explicit "either-or" form.

Question 12

"The door-to-door cosmetics saleswoman claimed that the brand of lipstick she sold was the best. It had the maximum color pay off, stayed on the longest, and would never dry the lips." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The saleswoman's claim relies on her authority as a salesperson rather than providing evidence or expert testimony to support the claim about the lipstick's qualities.

Question 13

"No one has proved that the lost continent of Atlantis doesn't exist. Therefore, the lost continent of Atlantis probably does exist." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of appeal to ignorance occurs when it's argued that a proposition is true simply because it has not been proven false, or vice versa. In this case, the argument suggests that because no one has proved Atlantis doesn't exist, it probably does exist, which is a classic example of this fallacy.

Question 14

"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!" Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The slippery-slope fallacy is present because the argument suggests that lowering the drinking age to eighteen will inevitably lead to an extreme outcome (third graders becoming drunks) without providing evidence for this progression.

Question 15

"Legislators in Texas want to make it a criminal offense for citizens not using 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 start, or there will be no stopping it." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The argument uses the slippery-slope fallacy, suggesting that a relatively minor first event (making not using seat belts a criminal offense) will lead to a series of significant and undesirable events (banning beer drinking, cigarette smoking, and restricting cholesterol intake) without providing evidence for such a drastic progression.

Question 16

The more improbable a claim is in itself, the less willing we should be to accept it merely on the say-so of a witness or an authority.

Accepted Answer

This principle aligns with the basic tenet of critical thinking and the scientific approach, which suggests that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The more improbable a claim, the stronger and more direct the evidence needed to support it should be.

Question 17

"Ninety-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." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The argument uses the slippery-slope fallacy by suggesting that releasing one old and infirm prisoner will lead to an absurd outcome where any minor ailment could justify early release, without providing evidence for such a drastic progression.

Question 18

"Judith Thomson argues that abortion can be morally permissible. She is a well-respected bioethicist. So, abortion must be permissible sometimes". This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The issue of abortion's moral permissibility involves ethical, legal, and personal considerations that cannot be conclusively resolved by appealing to an authority's opinion, even if they are an expert in bioethics.

Question 19

"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." This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

Accepted Answer

The statement does not illustrate a fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority because ABC News, as a reputable news organization, is considered a credible source for reporting news events, making the appeal to its authority appropriate in this context.

Question 20

"Kids play too many video games. That's why there's so much juvenile crime today." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

Accepted Answer

The statement implies a cause-and-effect relationship between playing video games and juvenile crime without providing evidence to support this connection, which is characteristic of the questionable cause fallacy.

Quiz 6: Logical Fallaciesii