Which of the following best illustrates the fallacy of composition?
A)If the price of a product rises, the quantity supplied will decline.
B)The average wage rate tends to increase at approximately the same rate as inflation; hence, wage increases must cause inflation.
C)Resources are scarce; therefore, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
D)If I talk loudly at a party, I have a better chance of being heard by my listeners.If everyone at the party talks loudly, everyone can be heard more clearly.

Question

Which of the following best illustrates the fallacy of composition?
A)​If the price of a product rises, the quantity supplied will decline.
B)​The average wage rate tends to increase at approximately the same rate as inflation; hence, wage increases must cause inflation.
C)​Resources are scarce; therefore, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
D)​If I talk loudly at a party, I have a better chance of being heard by my listeners.If everyone at the party talks loudly, everyone can be heard more clearly.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fallacy of composition occurs when someone assumes that what is true of the parts must be true of the whole. In this case, the speaker assumes that because talking louder will help them be heard, it will also help everyone else be heard. However, if everyone talks louder, it may create a noisy and chaotic environment making it harder for anyone to be heard.

Which of the Following Best Illustrates the Fallacy of Composition