Exam 2: The Principle of Charity: The Goodness of Supporting Charitable Causes

An appeal to authority is always fallacious.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -No one has ever proven that Picard was a better captain than Kirk, so obviously Kirk was the best.

The Burden of Proof always falls on the person making the claim.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -The advertisement said "100 year old bed for sale. Perfect for antique lover," so obviously there are some old folks who are still having fun.

A complex question asks two or more questions in the guise of one.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -People have tried for millennia to prove that God exits, but every argument fails, therefore, God does not exist.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -Who is the author of the Ramayana?

Equivocation implies using the same word in two different senses in an argument.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -Robert: David Tennant is my favorite Hamlet. Jane: That's odd; I always thought your favorite Hamlet was Fordlow.

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -Either the Battle of Perryville was in Kentucky or Tennessee. Since it wasn't in Tennessee, it must have been in Kentucky.

Why is it wrong to rely upon popularity and tradition as a source of authority?

Ambiguity occurs naturally in language.

One should always assume guilt until innocence is proven.

Amphiboly implies using the same word in two different senses in an argument.

What is an analogy? How does one tell if the analogy is genuine or fallacious?

Determine what fallacy (if any) is committed. -A clergyman would never smoke, but Rev. Thompson smokes, so he must not be a real clergyman.