Deck 5: Logical Fallaciesi

Question 1

The fallacy of begging the question is committed when an arguer states or assumes as a premise the very thing he or she is trying to prove as a conclusion.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Consider the following argument: "Your grandmother has done a lot for you, and now that she is sick, I think you should visit her." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) There is no fallacy committed in this argument
B) the fallacy of appeal to pity
C) the fallacy of look who's talking
D) the straw man fallacy

Answer 2

There is no fallacy committed in this argument

Question 3

Distorting your opponent's argument to make it easier to attack is always fallacious.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Consider these two statements. Statement one: Lou is a Republican, and Republicans usually like small government. Statement two: Lou likes small government. How are these statements relevant to one another?

A) Statement one is logically irrelevant to statement two.
B) Statement one is negatively relevant to statement two.
C) None of the answers are correct.
D) Statement one is positively relevant to statement two.

Question 5

Consider the following argument: "President Obama, in his State of the Union address, said that the nation would benefit if everyone had at least one year of post-high school education, whether it be college, a trade school, or an apprenticeship. It's too bad that he's an elitist snob who doesn't appreciate the hard work of those who don't have a college education and who wants everyone to go to college so they can be brainwashed to think like him." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the red herring fallacy
B) the straw man fallacy
C) None of the answers are correct
D) a bandwagon argument

Question 6

Statement A is negatively relevant to Statement B if Statement A provides no evidence for Statement B.

Question 7

The fact that someone else did something wrong can never justify you doing something wrong.

Question 8

Consider these two statements. Statement one: Sandra is a billionaire. Statement two: Sandra owns a very small home. How are these statements relevant to one another?

A) Statement one is logically irrelevant to statement two.
B) None of the answers are correct.
C) Statement one is negatively relevant to statement two.
D) Statement one is positively relevant to statement two.

Question 9

Consider the following argument: "Some people think that the television show South Park has gotten more vulgar over the years. But South Park is hilarious and has great social commentary." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of attacking the motive
B) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the red herring fallacy

Question 10

Consider the following argument: "Christopher Nolan should win the award for the best picture this year. After all, last year, he had a great film and he wasn't even nominated." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of scare tactics
B) None of the answers are correct
C) the fallacy of appeal to pity
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 11

Consider the following argument: "Steve told me that I should lose some weight. But he weighs 300 pounds. What a hypocrite!" Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) There is no fallacy committed in this argument
B) the fallacy of look who's talking
C) the fallacy of appeal to pity
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 12

Consider the following argument: "Legalizing gay marriage is justifiable because it's perfectly legitimate and appropriate that people of the same sex should be legally permitted to marry." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of begging the question
B) the fallacy of equivocation
C) the straw man fallacy
D) None of the answers are correct

Question 13

Consider the following argument: "Sneaker City has accused our company of exploitative labor practices. But Sneaker City's labor practices are much more exploitative than ours are. I happen to know they regularly employ children as young as nine in their overseas factories. Clearly, these accusations are groundless." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the red herring fallacy
B) the fallacy of attacking the motive
C) the fallacy of look who's talking
D) None of the answers are correct

Question 14

Every attack on an arguer's motive is logically fallacious.

Question 15

Consider the following argument: "Bill said that John's new girlfriend is a fox. Foxes live in the woods. So, John's new girlfriend must live in the woods." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) None of the answers are correct
B) the straw man fallacy
C) the fallacy of equivocation
D) the fallacy of look who's talking

Question 16

The following statement exemplifies the appeal to pity fallacy: Of course, you should start Lanny as point guard. His grandmother passed away last week.

Question 17

Changing the subject during an argument is always fallacious.

Question 18

For one statement to be relevant to another, the statement itself must be true.

Question 19

The straw man fallacy is committed when an arguer distorts an opponent's argument or claim to make it easier to attack.

Question 20

The _____ is committed when an arguer tries to sidetrack his or her audience by raising an irrelevant issue and then claiming that the original issue has effectively been settled by the irrelevant diversion.

A) straw man fallacy
B) red herring fallacy
C) fallacy of two wrongs make a right
D) fallacy of attacking the motive

Question 21

The fallacy of _____ occurs when a key word is used in two or more senses in the same argument and the apparent success of the argument depends on the shift in meaning.

A) equivocation
B) red herring
C) two wrongs make a right
D) attacking the motive

Question 22

Consider the following argument: "Everything in the book of Mormon is true. How do I know? I had a religious experience that told me that the book of Mormon is true, and the book of Mormon says that I can trust my religious experiences." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of begging the question
B) the fallacy of appeal to pity
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the red herring fallacy

Question 23

A good way to tell whether or not an argument equivocates is by clearly defining the words the argument uses.

Question 24

A fallacy of relevance occurs when the premises of an argument, though logically relevant to the conclusion, fail to provide sufficient evidence to support the conclusion.

Question 25

Consider the following argument: "Mr. Special Prosecutor, I'm sure you'll agree that these charges against me are completely groundless. If you continue to pursue this investigation, it may be necessary to order the IRS to audit your taxes." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) None of the answers are correct
B) the fallacy of scare tactics
C) the red herring fallacy
D) the fallacy of attacking the motive

Question 26

Consider the following argument: "Capitalism must be the best economic system. Think how many people across the world believe in it." This argument illustrates _____.

A) the red herring fallacy
B) the fallacy of equivocation
C) None of the answers are correct
D) a bandwagon argument

Question 27

The following statement exemplifies the bandwagon argument: Millions of people think that Uri Geller really is a psychic. He must really have psychic powers.

Question 28

Consider the following argument: "Richard Dawkins argues that evolution is true. But he's a godless atheist who can't be trusted. Therefore, his arguments for evolution must be faulty." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of personal attack
B) the fallacy of look who's talking
C) the fallacy of attacking the motive
D) None of the answers are correct

Question 29

The fallacy of _____ occurs when an arguer attempts to justify a wrongful act by claiming that some other act is just as bad or worse.

A) red herring
B) appeal to pity
C) appeal to force
D) two wrongs make a right

Question 30

Consider the following argument: "I'm sure you're all aware that Paula Zapperstein has argued that we need a new school gymnasium. What you may not be aware of is that Ms. Zapperstein is a convicted drug dealer. Clearly, Ms. Zapperstein's argument should be consigned to the trash bin." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of personal attack
B) the fallacy of attacking the motive
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 31

Consider the following argument: "Many leading Native American scholars have argued in favor of affirmative action. However, some of these scholars may have personally benefited from affirmative action policies. Therefore, their arguments should be ignored." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right
B) the fallacy of attacking the motive
C) the fallacy of look who's talking
D) None of the answers are correct

Question 32

Consider the following argument: "Ned argues that IT employees should be given the raise they were promised. But, of course, Ned thinks so because he works for IT. I believe we can safely ignore his argument." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of personal attack
B) None of the answers are correct
C) the fallacy of attacking the motive
D) the fallacy of look who's talking

Question 33

Consider the following argument: "Some people argue that fishing is wrong because fish can suffer. But fishing is a wonderful sport. Kids love it, and there's nothing more relaxing." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the red herring fallacy
B) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the straw man fallacy

Question 34

In the fallacy of scare tactics, an arguer physically attacks an opponent.

Question 35

The _____ occurs when an arguer rejects a person's argument or claim by attacking the person's character rather than the person's argument or claim.

A) fallacy of personal attack
B) straw man fallacy
C) fallacy of attacking the motive
D) red herring fallacy

Question 36

Even though an argument contains a logical fallacy, it can still be a good argument.

Question 37

In the argument "Ned is 100 years old; therefore, Ned probably plays professional basketball," the premise is logically irrelevant to the conclusion.

Question 38

Consider the following argument: "A lot of people have said that the new Thai restaurant is really good. So, I bet it is." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of equivocation
B) the fallacy of appeal to pity
C) There is no fallacy committed in this argument
D) a bandwagon argument

Question 39

The _____ occurs when an arguer states or assumes as a premise the very thing he or she is trying to prove as a conclusion.

A) fallacy of begging the question
B) bandwagon argument
C) straw man fallacy
D) red herring fallacy

Question 40

Although a person might be a hypocrite for saying that you shouldn't do something that they themselves do, their argument might still be good.

Question 41

Which of the following is a distinction between the straw man fallacy and the red herring fallacy?

A) The straw man fallacy always involves changing or evading an issue, whereas the red herring fallacy often does not.
B) The straw man fallacy always involves misrepresenting another person's argument or claim, whereas the red herring fallacy often does not.
C) The straw man fallacy is committed when there is an attack on an arguer's personal character instead of the actual argument, whereas the red herring fallacy is committed when there is an attack on the arguer's motive instead of the actual argument.
D) The straw man fallacy is a fallacy that is often committed in emotional appeals, whereas the red herring fallacy is not.

Question 42

Consider the following argument: "Yeah, I know that Bob cheated on his wife. But he didn't really do anything wrong because his wife cheated on him first." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of look who's talking
B) a bandwagon argument
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 43

A bandwagon argument is an argument that plays on a person's desire to be popular, valued, or accepted.

Question 44

Consider the following argument: "Republicans have charged the President with failing to keep his campaign promises. But this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Just last week, many Republican senators went back on their campaign promises to support Medicare cuts." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of look who's talking
B) the fallacy of attacking the motive
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 45

_____ is one that plays on a person's desire to be popular, accepted, or valued, rather than appealing to logically relevant reasons or evidence.

A) The red herring fallacy
B) A bandwagon argument
C) The fallacy of appeal to pity
D) The straw man fallacy

Question 46

Consider these two statements. Statement one: I think it would be great if God exists. Statement two: God exists. How are these statements relevant to one another?

A) Statement one is positively relevant to statement two.
B) Statement one is negatively relevant to statement two.
C) Statement one is logically irrelevant to statement two.
D) None of the answers are correct.

Question 47

In _____, an arguer attempts to evoke feelings of compassion, where such feelings, however understandable, are not relevant to the truth of the arguer's conclusion.

A) the fallacy of attacking the motive
B) the fallacy of appeal to pity
C) the fallacy of scare tactics
D) the fallacy of personal attack

Question 48

Consider the following argument: "The bill that Congress wants to pass is very unpopular. Unless they want to have trouble in the next election cycle, they probably shouldn't pass it." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) a bandwagon argument
B) There is no fallacy committed in this argument
C) the fallacy of equivocation
D) the fallacy of scare tactics

Question 49

Rudy's wife, Pamela, makes a pumpkin pie for him, which is one of his favorite desserts. After eating two slices of the pie, Rudy makes a general remark that a pumpkin pie is best enjoyed during Thanksgiving. Pamela concludes that Rudy does not like the pumpkin pie that she made and decides to avoid making pies for him in the future. Based on the given information, Pamela has most likely committed _____.

A) the straw man fallacy
B) the red herring fallacy
C) the fallacy of personal attack
D) the fallacy of appeal to pity

Question 50

Consider the following argument: "Dipsy O'Neill has recently argued that drinking a little red wine with dinner is good for one's health. But no one should accept O'Neill's argument. O'Neill, as you know, is the owner of O'Neill's Wines and Spirits. Naturally, she'd love to see people buy more wine." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of attacking the motive
B) the fallacy of look who's talking
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 51

Consider the following argument: "My dad told me I need to study harder because I'm getting all D's. But what does he know? He got bad grades when he was in school. Why should I listen to him?" Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right
B) the fallacy of look who's talking
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of personal attack

Question 52

Although it is not rational to be persuaded by logically fallacious arguments, unfortunately, people often are.

Question 53

In the context of the fallacies of relevance, whether one statement is relevant to another usually depends on the context in which the statements are made.

Question 54

The fallacy of attacking the motive occurs when an arguer rejects another person's argument or claim because that person fails to practice what he or she preaches.

Question 55

Arguments containing emotional appeals are always fallacious.

Question 56

Formal fallacies are fallacious arguments that involve explicit use of an invalid argument form.

Question 57

Consider the following argument: "There's nothing wrong with paying for one movie and then sneaking in to see a second movie for free. What theaters charge for popcorn and soda is highway robbery." What fallacy does this argument commit?

A) the fallacy of attacking the motive
B) None of the answers are correct
C) the fallacy of look who's talking
D) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right

Question 58

An argument is fallacious if it _____.

A) has a false conclusion
B) All of the answers are correct
C) has one or more false premises
D) contains a mistake in reasoning

Question 59

Consider the following argument: "Billy-Ray Hoggerty's book Stoned in Muskogee should be awarded this year's Pulitzer Prize for literature. Billy-Ray, as you know, recently lost both his parents, and his favorite coon dog got run over by a truck." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of attacking the motive
B) the fallacy of personal attack
C) None of the answers are correct
D) the fallacy of appeal to pity

Question 60

Consider the following argument: "My opponent in this election doesn't deserve your vote. He's a liar, a confessed tax cheat, and twice been convicted of spying for Albania." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the fallacy of personal attack
B) the fallacy of look who's talking
C) There is no fallacy committed in this argument
D) the fallacy of attacking the motive

Question 61

In the red herring fallacy, a key word is used in two or more senses in the same argument and the apparent success of the argument depends on the shift in meaning.

Question 62

Consider the following argument: "All the cool kids at Middletown Elementary School drink fizzy soda pop. So, you should too." This argument illustrates _____.

A) the fallacy of equivocation
B) the fallacy of two wrongs make a right
C) None of the answers are correct
D) a bandwagon argument

Question 63

Some personal attacks on arguers are not fallacious.

Question 64

Consider the following argument: "In a recent judicial decision, District Court Judge Lemuel Featherstone argued that bazookas and flamethrowers are not protected by the Second Amendment. Apparently, Judge Featherstone believes that the U.S. Constitution is obsolete and should be repealed by judicial fiat. But the rights protected in the Constitution lie at the very core of America's values and traditions. All true Americans must hope that Judge Featherstone's ruling is swiftly overturned." Which of the following fallacies has been committed in this argument?

A) the red herring fallacy
B) the straw man fallacy
C) the fallacy of attacking the motive
D) None of the answers are correct

Question 65

The following statement exemplifies the straw man fallacy: The glass is half-empty because it's half-full.