Deck 9: Fallacies in Reasoning, Part II

Question 1

"Foods that are low in sugar have more fat. Foods that are low in fat have more sugar. A dieter can't win." This is an example of which fallacy?

A) Slippery slope
B) Tu quoque
C) Red herring
D) Post hoc
E) False dilemma

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Timmy calls Tommy a liar. Tommy responds, "It takes one to know one." Tommy is guilty of which fallacy?

A) Sweeping generalization
B) Ad hominem
C) Appeal to authority
D) Tu quoque
E) Appeal to ignorance

Answer 2

D

Question 3

"Smoking is now against the law at some beaches. Next thing you know, there will be a ban on smoking in outdoor venues, like stadiums, parades, and swap meets. What's next? Is the government going to ban Hostess Twinkies because so many Americans are obese? Is the government going to ban walking because someone might trip, or pencils because someone might get poked in the eye?" The most likely fallacy in this argument is:

A) Hasty generalization
B) Sweeping generalization
C) Faulty cause
D) Begging the question
E) Slippery slope

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Beating up on a weak or minor issue in a controversy because it is easy or convenient to attack is known as a/an:

A) Tar baby
B) Trojan horse
C) Straw man
D) Circumlocution

Question 5

Dr. Peter Duesberg, a molecular biologist at U.C. Berkeley claims, "It is not proven that HIV is the cause of AIDS," because no one has proven that HIV causes AIDS and, "there should be scientific documents … which demonstrate that fact." Duesberg's argument entails which fallacy?

A) Faulty sign
B) Hasty generalization
C) Sweeping generalization
D) Red herring
E) Appeal to ignorance

Question 6

At a school board meeting, Edna tells the board, "Anyone who is against school prayer is against God. And anyone who is against God is for Satan. And anyone who is for Satan shouldn't have a say in how our schools are run." Edna has committed which fallacy?

A) Faulty cause
B) Damning the source
C) Faulty analogy
D) Nolo divertium

Question 7

"I haven't seen any studies proving that lyrics in rap music lead to negative attitudes toward women, increased violence against women, or sexual aggression toward women. In the absence of any firm evidence against rap music, I think it is safe to say rap lyrics are harmless or benign." The most likely fallacy here is:

A) Equivocation
B) Appeal to ignorance
C) Tautology
D) False dilemma

Question 8

"The U.S. shouldn't use Apache helicopters to attack enemy positions, because the use of the name "Apache" to refer to a military weapon is offensive to Native Americans." The most likely fallacy here is:

A) False dilemma
B) Red herring
C) Faulty cause
D) Faulty analogy

Question 9

An arguer asks an audience to accept her claim because she has found no evidence or proof contradicting her claim. This fallacy is known as:

A) Faulty sign
B) Red herring
C) False dilemma
D) Appeal to ignorance
E) Hasty generalization

Question 10

"In 2015, 93 children (age 18 or younger) drowned in bathtubs. That's almost as many children as were killed accidentally by guns in 2015, which was 102. So I suppose gun control advocates will want background checks on bathtub owners next." The most likely fallacy here is:

A) Appeal to ignorance
B) Appeal to extremes
C) False dilemma
D) Hypothesis contrary to fact

Question 11

Frankie tells Johnny, "I can't believe you want to legalize marijuana. Drug overdoses kill thousands of people each year." Which fallacy has Frankie committed?

A) Equivocation
B) Appeal to tradition
C) Appeal to the crowd
D) Bifurcation

Question 12

Which fallacy attacks the arguer rather than the argument?

A) Slippery slope
B) Begging the question
C) False dilemma
D) Ad hominem
E) Straw man

Question 13

What fallacy is represented by this statement?:"Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Either we bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, or we wait for them to bomb us."

A) Slippery slope
B) False dilemma
C) Ad hominem
D) Hasty generalization

Question 14

An adolescent is arrested for shoplifting cigarettes at a convenience store. Officer: "We'll be taking you down to the station, where you'll be formally charged with shoplifting." Adolescent: "Why punish me? I just did some other smoker a favor. Smoking is harmful, so by taking those cigarettes, I may have prevented another smoker's death." What fallacy in reasoning has the troubled teen committed?

A) Faulty sign
B) Sweeping generalization
C) Red herring
D) Appeal to authority

Question 15

In the statement, "Professor Windplenty's test was extremely unfair. Just ask anyone who took it!" the primary fallacy is:

A) Sweeping generalization
B) Appeal to the crowd
C) False dilemma
D) Hasty generalization
E) Ad hominem

Question 16

"People who want to keep marijuana illegal should realize that two of our founding fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, grew hemp." This argument is based on:

A) Appeal to the crowd
B) Slippery slope
C) False dilemma
D) Appeal to authority

Question 17

Monsignor Monad is an inquisitor in the Dark Ages, whose job is to torture suspected witches and warlocks until they confess. He tells one of the prisoners in the dungeon, "You have nothing to fear. If you are a witch or warlock, you can simply cast a spell on this red-hot poker so it won't burn you. If you are a Christian, and you truly believe, God will spare you from pain." The most likely fallacy committed here is:

A) Tu quoque
B) Hasty generalization
C) Bifurcation
D) Slippery slope

Question 18

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 19

According to a CNN poll, 67% of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts reported that they pray at least once a day. So, we can see that our nation's youth is more religious than ever." The most likely problem is:

A) Faulty analogy
B) Hasty generalization
C) Tautology
D) Slippery slope

Question 20

Which fallacy involves basing a claim on an unstated assumption or premise which has yet to be proven?

A) Ad hominem
B) Faulty cause
C) Begging the question
D) Generalization

Question 21

"Thousands of people have reported seeing UFOs. When that many people claim to have seen something, the phenomenon must be real." The most likely fallacy here is:

A) Appeal to the crowd
B) Red herring
C) Non-sequitur
D) Appeal to extremes

Question 22

"The detainees at Guantanamo who were water-boarded must have been hardcore terrorists. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the government to torture them." The most likely fallacy here is:

A) Appeal to the crowd
B) Begging the question
C) False dilemma
D) Tu quoque

Question 23

In the dialogue below, what is the most likely fallacy that Naomi has committed? Naomi: "I called the psychic hotline, and Madame Zeno told me my Lotto picks were going to win." Hansel: "If she already knows the winning numbers in advance, then why hasn't she won the lottery herself?" Naomi: "Psychics can only read people's minds. The Lotto machine doesn't have a mind to read." Hansel: "Then how can she know you'll win, just because she read your mind? You don't know what numbers the Lotto machine will pick." Naomi: "Yes I do. Madame Zeno told me so."

A) Appealing to extremes
B) Slippery slope
C) Tautology
D) Straw man
E) Tu quoque

Question 24

Lloyd is interviewing for a job. Interviewer: "How do I know you are trustworthy and dependable?" Lloyd: "Just ask my friend, Harvey. He'll tell you." Interviewer: "Why should I take Harvey's word for it? I don't even know him." Lloyd: "Trust me, he's my best friend. He would never lie." Which fallacy has Lloyd committed?

A) Straw man
B) Appeal to the crowd
C) Post hoc
D) Slippery slope
E) Tautology

Question 25

Which of the following best exemplifies a miracle counterfactual?

A) If I hadn't taken out $100K in student loans to pay for college, I would be able to qualify for a home loan today.
B) If I could go back in time, I could shoot Hitler when he was a small boy and prevent World War II and the Holocaust.
C) Had I taken up golf when I was younger, instead of playing soccer, I would still be able to play as I age.
D) If I had saved $50 per month when I began working 30 years ago, even assuming a modest return rate of 6%, I would have over $50,000 now.
E) If I had taken another route home, I wouldn't have been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for two hours.

Question 26

Which of these is a variation of the tu quoque fallacy?

A) Abusive ad hominem
B) Hollow man
C) Whataboutism
D) Circular reasoning

Question 27

What is the difference between a legitimate attack on a source's credibility and an abusive ad hominem attack? Offer a specific example of each to support your answer.

Question 28

Provide an example of a bifurcation fallacy or false dilemma. If confronted with such an argument, what is the best way to counter or refute it?

Question 29

Your book discusses several fallacies that divert attention away from the substantive issue at hand. Compare and contrast two of these fallacies.

Question 30

Provide an example of a real or imaginary tu quoque fallacy. Using the same example, explain how the fallacy could be refuted.

Question 31

Compare and contrast the following two fallacies: appeal to tradition and appeal to the crowd. In what ways are they similar? How do they differ?