Tondalayo, an Aztec virgin, is about to be sacrificed to the gods. She asks her pal, Quexlax, if it's really necessary that her still beating heart be ripped out. Quexlax replies, "Oh yes! There are three very good reasons: First, we must keep the volcano god happy-since we began sacrificing virgins, there hasn't been a single eruption. Second, if we abandon this ritual, then we'll begin to abandon other important rituals, like stonings, torture, and beheadings. Before long, we won't have any rituals at all.Third, the Chief says we must, so, of course, we must." What is the one fallacy below that Quexlax hasn't committed?
A) Post hoc
B) Bifurcation (either-or)
C) Appeal to authority
D) Slippery slope

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Quexlax commits the post hoc fallacy by linking virgin sacrifices to the prevention of volcanic eruptions without proper causation, the appeal to authority by stating the Chief's command as a reason, and the slippery slope by suggesting abandoning one ritual will lead to the loss of all rituals. However, he does not present an either-or scenario, which would involve limiting the options to two when more might exist.

Tondalayo, an Aztec Virgin, Is About to Be Sacrificed to the Gods