Deck 6: Logical Fallaciesii

Question 1

It is always inappropriate to appeal to authority.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

"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, many students might get sick. Don't you think I'm right?" Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The questionable cause fallacy
B) The loaded question fallacy
C) The fallacy of hasty generalization
D) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
E) None of the answers are correct

Answer 2

None of the answers are correct

Question 3

"That ultraconservative, fundamentalist, religious, creationist website said that there is no good evidence for evolution. Therefore, evolution must be false." This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) The cited source is biased.
B) The claim is false or improbable on its face.
C) None of the answers are correct.
D) The source is known to be unreliable.
E) The cited source is not an authority on the subject.

Answer 3

The cited source is not an authority on the subject.

Question 4

The following statement is a generalization: "Most Americans are concerned about the environment."

Question 5

"It rains a lot in San Diego during summers. I know because I spent two weekends in San Diego last summer, and that time it rained like cats and dogs." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of hasty generalization
B) The fallacy of inconsistency
C) The weak analogy fallacy
D) The slippery-slope fallacy
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 6

The fallacy of inconsistency occurs when an arguer asserts inconsistent or contradictory claims.

Question 7

"My psychologist said that quantum mechanics proves that the Eastern mystic doctrine of oneness is true, so it must be." This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) The cited source is presumably not an authority on the subject.
B) None of the answers are correct.
C) The source is known to be unreliable.
D) The accuracy of the source's observation is questionable.
E) The cited source is biased.

Question 8

"Officer, I admit I was driving 140 mph on this congested highway, but I don't deserve a speeding ticket. There is no speed limit on this highway, and the law requires only that vehicles be driven "at a safe speed," which, for me, is well over 140 mph. Also, I apologize for not pulling over sooner. I was talking on my cell phone and didn't hear your siren." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of inconsistency
B) The slippery-slope fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The fallacy of false alternatives
E) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority

Question 9

"Janet is a girl, and she plays softball. Julie is a girl. I bet Julie plays softball, too." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) The slippery-slope fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The fallacy of inconsistency
E) The hasty generalization fallacy

Question 10

The post hoc fallacy is a common variety of the questionable cause fallacy.

Question 11

"When I asked Ned, "Are you a mute or just dumb as a stick?" he replied, "You know I ain't mute." I'm glad Ned has the courage to admit he was shortchanged for brains." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of hasty generalization
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The questionable cause fallacy
D) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
E) The fallacy of false alternatives

Question 12

"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 responsible for the massive influx of corporate money and the overwhelming number of political ads we've seen in recent U.S. elections." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The mere correlation fallacy
B) The hasty generalization fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The post hoc fallacy
E) The oversimplified cause fallacy

Question 13

Not all slippery-slope arguments are fallacious.

Question 14

"Dear Professor Lott: I can't believe you took off points from my papper because it contained multiple spelling errors. You sea, I always spell-check whatever eye right, sew I no my writings contain know spelling errors." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of inconsistency
B) The weak analogy fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 15

" Herbie: Are you still reading that wacky New Age magazine?
Alice: Yes.
Herbie: Well, at least you admit it's wacky."
Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The loaded question fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The inappropriate appeal to authority fallacy
D) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
E) The weak analogy fallacy

Question 16

"Either you favor unrestricted abortion on demand or you favor a constitutional amendment banning all abortions. I know you don't favor unrestricted abortion on demand. Therefore, you favor a constitutional amendment banning all abortions." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) The inappropriate appeal to authority fallacy
C) The slippery-slope fallacy
D) None of the answers are correct
E) The fallacy of false alternatives

Question 17

The illiteracy rate in all developing countries is high. It follows that every person from a developing country must be illiterate. Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of composition
B) The weak analogy fallacy
C) The fallacy of division
D) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 18

"No one objects to a lawyer looking up a legal case during a trial. Why should students not be permitted to look up an answer during an exam?" Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The fallacy of hasty generalization
C) The slippery-slope fallacy
D) The weak analogy fallacy
E) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 19

"Every time I've gone to the concession stand for a beer, our basketball team has gone on a scoring streak. There are two minutes to go, and the team is trailing by six. I guess it's about time for a beer." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The slippery-slope fallacy
B) The questionable cause fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The fallacy of false alternatives
E) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 20

The following is a weak analogy: A battleship is made of metal, and it floats. An aluminum canoe is made of metal, and it floats. A hammer is made of metal; so, it probably floats, too.

Question 21

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

Question 22

"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.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) The fallacy of inconsistency
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) the slippery-slope fallacy

Question 23

"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.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The fallacy of hasty generalization
C) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
D) The questionable cause fallacy
E) The fallacy of false alternatives

Question 24

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

Question 25

"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.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) The slippery-slope fallacy
C) The fallacy of inconsistency
D) None of the answers are correct
E) The fallacy of hasty generalization

Question 26

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.

Question 27

"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.

A) The questionable cause fallacy
B) The slippery-slope fallacy
C) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 28

"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.

A) The questionable cause fallacy
B) The loaded question fallacy
C) The fallacy of hasty generalization
D) The weak analogy fallacy
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 29

"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.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The inconsistency fallacy
C) The weak analogy fallacy
D) The slippery-slope fallacy
E) The fallacy of hasty generalization

Question 30

"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.

A) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The fallacy of false alternatives
D) The weak analogy fallacy
E) The loaded question fallacy

Question 31

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

Question 32

"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.

A) The fallacy of oversimplified cause
B) The fallacy of false alternatives
C) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
D) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 33

"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.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
C) The fallacy of false alternatives
D) The slippery-slope fallacy
E) The fallacy of inconsistency

Question 34

"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.

A) The slippery-slope fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) The weak analogy fallacy

Question 35

"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.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The fallacy of false alternatives
C) The slippery-slope fallacy
D) The questionable cause fallacy
E) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 36

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.

Question 37

"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.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) the slippery-slope fallacy
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) The loaded question fallacy

Question 38

"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.

A) The accuracy of the source's observation is questionable.
B) The source is not an authority on the subject.
C) The source has been cited incorrectly.
D) This issue cannot be settled with expert opinion.
E) None of the answers are correct.

Question 39

"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.

A) The source is biased.
B) The source is known to be unreliable.
C) The source is not an authority on the subject at issue.
D) The claim is false or improbable.
E) None of the answers are correct.

Question 40

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

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The questionable cause fallacy
C) The weak analogy fallacy
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) The fallacy of inconsistency

Question 41

The loaded question fallacy occurs when an arguer asks a question that contains an unfair or unwarranted presupposition.

Question 42

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 life after death or there is no life after death."

Question 43

The following argument commits the fallacy of appeal to ignorance: "No one has ever seen Billie Jenkins ride his bike to school. So, probably Billy Jenkins rarely, if ever, rides his bike to school."

Question 44

"Every Republican I see on TV is a rich, white guy. Therefore, all Republicans are rich, white guys." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of hasty generalization
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The inconsistency fallacy
D) The slippery-slope fallacy
E) The weak analogy fallacy

Question 45

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

A) The source's claim conflicts with expert opinion, and the reliability of the source is questionable.
B) The source has been cited incorrectly.
C) The issue cannot be settled by expert opinion.
D) None of the answers are correct.

Question 46

"There hasn't been a president for 100 years that wasn't a Republican or a Democrat. Therefore, it is likely that the next president will be a Republican or a Democrat." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The weak analogy fallacy
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 47

All analogies are weak.

Question 48

"My wife is blonde and attractive and appreciates it when I give her sexy lingerie for Valentine's Day. My office assistant is also blonde and attractive. Therefore, she would appreciate it if I gave her sexy lingerie for Valentine's Day." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
B) The fallacy of false alternatives
C) The fallacy of inconsistency
D) The weak analogy fallacy
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 49

"The famous novelist Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and other great works of fiction, held that nearsightedness can be corrected by eye exercises. Given the opinion of so eminent a person as Huxley, we may be confident that nearsightedness can indeed be corrected by eye exercises." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of inconsistency
B) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The loaded question fallacy
E) The slippery-slope fallacy

Question 50

"Most Hollywood movie stars believe in reincarnation. I know because I read it in a British tabloid." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The slippery-slope fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The loaded question fallacy
D) The inappropriate appeal to authority fallacy
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 51

"Wierdthings.com reported that 100-foot-tall aliens from the future landed in the Grand Canyon today. I guess we're not alone in the universe." This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) The source is probably cited incorrectly.
B) This issue cannot be settled by expert opinion.
C) The source is biased.
D) The claim is false or improbable on its face, and the reliability of the source is questionable.
E) None of the answers are correct.

Question 52

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

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) The fallacy of inconsistency
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The slippery-slope fallacy
E) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 53

"Conspiracy theorists suggest that 9/11 was an inside government job. The government secretly landed those planes, took off all the passengers, and then hid the planes. Then they took remote-controlled planes and flew those planes into the towers. But days before, they had managed to sneak in explosives into the towers, without anyone seeing, and then performed a controlled detonation on the buildings after the remote-controlled planes hit the towers. And, even though thousands of people would've had to have been involved in the conspiracy to pull this off, they all kept quiet and didn't object. Given the track record of the federal government, that sounds like a plausible scenario to me." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) The slippery-slope fallacy
C) The questionable cause fallacy
D) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 54

"Every time I drink a bunch of beer, I feel really hung over the next morning. The drinking must be causing the hangover." In this example, identify the fallacy and the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The mere correlation fallacy
C) The slippery-slope fallacy
D) The post hoc fallacy
E) The oversimplified cause fallacy

Question 55

If a person cites a source in support of a conclusion and there is good reason to believe that the source has been cited incorrectly, then the person commits the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority.

Question 56

Some claims are so inherently controversial that they cannot be settled by appeals to expert opinion.

Question 57

A hasty generalization is committed when an arguer draws a general conclusion from a sample that is biased or too small.

Question 58

"Larry said that the State is now ahead 18-14 in the football game, but that can't be right. Two minutes ago, the score was tied 14-14, and it's not possible for a team to score 4 points in football. In football, you can only score in increments of 1 (with an extra point), 3 (with a field goal), 6 (with a touchdown), 7 (with a touchdown and extra point), and 8 (with a touchdown and a two-point conversion). Obviously, Larry is mistaken." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) The loaded question fallacy
C) The fallacy of inconsistency
D) None of the answers are correct
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 59

The following argument illustrates the questionable cause fallacy: "Many high school students sleep through the first period. Clearly, many high school students stay up too late studying."

Question 60

"Every time my dog barks at the front door, I always find a new mail in my mailbox. I guess my dog has the power to make mails appear." In this example, identify the fallacy and the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) The post hoc fallacy
B) The mere correlation fallacy
C) The fallacy of false alternatives
D) None of the answers are correct
E) The oversimplified cause fallacy

Question 61

"My dentist says that the First Amendment established a strict separation of church and state. My dentist is a highly educated person. So, that is a reasonable way to interpret the First Amendment." This statement illustrates the fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority. Identify the most relevant reason for the fallacy.

A) None of the answers are correct.
B) The source is biased.
C) The claim is false or improbable on its face.
D) The source is presumably not an authority on the subject.
E) The claim is inherently debatable.

Question 62

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

A) The fallacy of inconsistency
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
D) The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 63

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

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The fallacy of hasty generalization
C) The weak analogy fallacy
D) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
E) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 64

The following two statements are inconsistent: Atoms are material objects. Atoms have no size or shape.

Question 65

The fact that one thing is regularly followed by another is sometimes reason to think that one is the cause of the other.

Question 66

"Either you're with us or you're against us. And if you're against us, then we will bomb you back to the Stone Age. So, you better be with us." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
B) The loaded question fallacy
C) The questionable cause fallacy
D) None of the answers are correct
E) The fallacy of false alternatives

Question 67

If an arguer poses a question that contains an unfair or unwarranted presupposition, the arguer commits the fallacy of false alternatives.

Question 68

"The correct answer to this math problem is either four or six. I also know that the correct answer is a prime number. I'm going with four." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
B) The fallacy of hasty generalization
C) None of the answers are correct
D) The loaded question fallacy
E) The fallacy of inconsistency

Question 69

The fallacy of inappropriate appeal to authority is committed when an arguer cites a witness or an authority who, there is good reason to believe, is unreliable.

Question 70

A lack of evidence for something is never a reason to think that it is false.

Question 71

"Water is a clear liquid, and it's nonintoxicating. 7Up is a clear liquid, and it's nonintoxicating. Vodka is a clear liquid, so it's probably nonintoxicating, too." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The slippery-slope fallacy
D) The fallacy of inconsistency
E) The fallacy of hasty generalization

Question 72

Every argument that jumps to a conclusion is a hasty generalization.

Question 73

If a person poses a false choice between two options, A and B, then she commits the fallacy of false alternatives, even if she doesn't put forward an argument that includes the false choice.

Question 74

"I forgot to wear my lucky jersey, and my favorite team lost their playoff game. It's my fault they're not going to the Super Bowl." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The post hoc fallacy
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The oversimplified cause fallacy
D) The mere correlation fallacy
E) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance

Question 75

In the fallacy of appeal to ignorance, the arguer falsely accuses another arguer of being ignorant.

Question 76

" Tabloid headline: UFOs: Extraterrestrials or Demons?" Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) The weak analogy fallacy
C) The questionable cause fallacy
D) The fallacy of hasty generalization
E) None of the answers are correct

Question 77

"The Brazilian soccer team has three top, match-winning players. Therefore, the entire Brazilian team must be a top, match-winning team." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The weak analogy fallacy
B) The fallacy of composition
C) The fallacy of inconsistency
D) The questionable cause fallacy

Question 78

"When are you going to stop cheating on exams? You can't stop? Then you must have been cheating." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) The fallacy of false alternatives
B) None of the answers are correct
C) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
D) The loaded question fallacy

Question 79

" IRS agent: Mr. Peckinsniff, there is nothing in these documents that proves that you haven't been cheating on your taxes. Therefore, I must assume that you have been." Identify the fallacy that applies to this example.

A) None of the answers are correct
B) The weak analogy fallacy
C) The fallacy of hasty generalization
D) The fallacy of appeal to ignorance
E) The loaded question fallacy

Question 80

The fallacy of division occurs when an arguer assumes, without good reason, that what is true of a whole is also true of its parts.