Exam 6: Logical Fallaciesii

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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

The following argument commits the fallacy of false alternatives: "On my 21st birthday, I can either get drunk or smoke crack. I don't like drinking, so I guess I'll have to smoke crack."

"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.

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

"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.

Not all slippery-slope arguments are fallacious.

"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.

"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.

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

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

"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.

"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.

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

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

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