Question 1

The fallacy of composition is thinking that the characteristics of the parts are somehow transferred to the whole.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Why is an appeal to the masses fallacious?

Accepted Answer

An appeal to the masses, also known as a

Question 3

What is the fallacy of equivocation and how can it be used to persuade an audience that a conclusion is true?

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of equivocation occurs when

Question 4

The demand that someone prove a universal negative is unreasonable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The strategy of inserting irrelevancies into an argument to distract someone from the real issues is called

Accepted Answer

A)  red herring. 
B)  decision-point fallacy. 
C)  poisoning the well. 
D)  slippery slope. 
A)  red herring. 
B)  decision-point fallacy. 
C)  poisoning the well. 
D)  slippery slope.

Question 6

In general, if a person makes an unsupported claim, we are under no obligation to prove it wrong.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

What is the basic pattern of a straw-man argument? How are straw-man arguments sometimes used in political debates?

Accepted Answer

A straw-man argument is a rhetorical tec

Question 8

Explain the two broad categories of fallacies. Provide examples of each category in your answer.

Accepted Answer

The two broad categories of fallacies ar

Question 9

Fallacies with irrelevant premises include

Accepted Answer

A)  begging the question. 
B)  innuendo. 
C)  appeal to tradition. 
D)  hasty generalization. 
A)  begging the question. 
B)  innuendo. 
C)  appeal to tradition. 
D)  hasty generalization.

Question 10

Whether people are hypocritical regarding their claims bears directly on the truth of those claims.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Claims that come out of a "poisoned well" cannot be automatically dismissed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

When we commit the fallacy of appealing to the person, we reject a claim by

Accepted Answer

A)  using rhetoric. 
B)  appealing to a bogus authority. 
C)  ignoring the person. 
D)  criticizing the person who makes it. 
A)  using rhetoric. 
B)  appealing to a bogus authority. 
C)  ignoring the person. 
D)  criticizing the person who makes it.

Question 13

This argument-"Either you support the war or you are a traitor to your country. You don't support the war. So you're a traitor"-is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  false dilemma. 
B)  begging the question. 
C)  equivocation. 
D)  innuendo. 
A)  false dilemma. 
B)  begging the question. 
C)  equivocation. 
D)  innuendo.

Question 14

Words used to convey negative attitudes or emotions in place of neutral or positive ones are called

Accepted Answer

A)  rhetorical definitions. 
B)  euphemisms. 
C)  dysphemisms. 
D)  faulty analogies. 
A)  rhetorical definitions. 
B)  euphemisms. 
C)  dysphemisms. 
D)  faulty analogies.

Question 15

What are euphemisms and dysphemisms and how are they put to use rhetorically? Provide a real-world example of each in your answer.

Accepted Answer

Euphemisms and dysphemisms are both form

Question 16

The fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it is known as appeal to

Accepted Answer

A)  emotion. 
B)  authority. 
C)  tradition. 
D)  the masses. 
A)  emotion. 
B)  authority. 
C)  tradition. 
D)  the masses.

Question 17

Using the phrase "enhanced interrogation techniques" instead of "torture" or the phrase "downsizing" instead of "firing" illustrates the use of

Accepted Answer

A)  rhetorical definitions. 
B)  euphemism. 
C)  dysphemism. 
D)  faulty analogies. 
A)  rhetorical definitions. 
B)  euphemism. 
C)  dysphemism. 
D)  faulty analogies.

Question 18

The red herring fallacy involves reinterpreting a claim so that it appears weak or absurd and therefore more easily refuted.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

A lack of evidence alone can neither prove nor disprove a proposition.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

The attempt to establish the conclusion of an argument by using that conclusion as a premise is known as equivocation.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The fallacy of composition is thinking that the characteristics of the parts are somehow transferred to the whole.

Why is an appeal to the masses fallacious?

What is the fallacy of equivocation and how can it be used to persuade an audience that a conclusion is true?

The demand that someone prove a universal negative is unreasonable.

The strategy of inserting irrelevancies into an argument to distract someone from the real issues is called

In general, if a person makes an unsupported claim, we are under no obligation to prove it wrong.

What is the basic pattern of a straw-man argument? How are straw-man arguments sometimes used in political debates?

Explain the two broad categories of fallacies. Provide examples of each category in your answer.

Fallacies with irrelevant premises include

Whether people are hypocritical regarding their claims bears directly on the truth of those claims.

Claims that come out of a "poisoned well" cannot be automatically dismissed.

When we commit the fallacy of appealing to the person, we reject a claim by

This argument-"Either you support the war or you are a traitor to your country. You don't support the war. So you're a traitor"-is an example of

Words used to convey negative attitudes or emotions in place of neutral or positive ones are called

What are euphemisms and dysphemisms and how are they put to use rhetorically? Provide a real-world example of each in your answer.

The fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it is known as appeal to

Using the phrase "enhanced interrogation techniques" instead of "torture" or the phrase "downsizing" instead of "firing" illustrates the use of

The red herring fallacy involves reinterpreting a claim so that it appears weak or absurd and therefore more easily refuted.

A lack of evidence alone can neither prove nor disprove a proposition.

The attempt to establish the conclusion of an argument by using that conclusion as a premise is known as equivocation.

The Power of Critical Thinking

Obstacles to Critical Thinking

Making Sense of Arguments

Reasons for Belief and Doubt

Media Manipulation: Fake News, Bias, and Advertising

Deductive Reasoning: Propositional Logic

Deductive Reasoning: Categorical Logic

Inductive Reasoning

Inference to the Best Explanation

Judging Scientific Theories

Critical Thinking in Morality and the Law

Filters

Exam 6: Fallacies and Persuaders

The fallacy of composition is thinking that the characteristics of the parts are somehow transferred to the whole.

Why is an appeal to the masses fallacious?

What is the fallacy of equivocation and how can it be used to persuade an audience that a conclusion is true?

The demand that someone prove a universal negative is unreasonable.

The strategy of inserting irrelevancies into an argument to distract someone from the real issues is called

In general, if a person makes an unsupported claim, we are under no obligation to prove it wrong.

What is the basic pattern of a straw-man argument? How are straw-man arguments sometimes used in political debates?

Explain the two broad categories of fallacies. Provide examples of each category in your answer.

Fallacies with irrelevant premises include

Whether people are hypocritical regarding their claims bears directly on the truth of those claims.

Claims that come out of a "poisoned well" cannot be automatically dismissed.

When we commit the fallacy of appealing to the person, we reject a claim by

This argument-"Either you support the war or you are a traitor to your country. You don't support the war. So you're a traitor"-is an example of

Words used to convey negative attitudes or emotions in place of neutral or positive ones are called

What are euphemisms and dysphemisms and how are they put to use rhetorically? Provide a real-world example of each in your answer.

The fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it is known as appeal to

Using the phrase "enhanced interrogation techniques" instead of "torture" or the phrase "downsizing" instead of "firing" illustrates the use of

The red herring fallacy involves reinterpreting a claim so that it appears weak or absurd and therefore more easily refuted.

A lack of evidence alone can neither prove nor disprove a proposition.

The attempt to establish the conclusion of an argument by using that conclusion as a premise is known as equivocation.

The Power of Critical Thinking

Obstacles to Critical Thinking

Making Sense of Arguments

Reasons for Belief and Doubt

Media Manipulation: Fake News, Bias, and Advertising

Deductive Reasoning: Propositional Logic

Deductive Reasoning: Categorical Logic

Inductive Reasoning

Inference to the Best Explanation

Judging Scientific Theories

Critical Thinking in Morality and the Law

Filters