Question 1

You should never buy your child a goldfish, because next it will be a hamster and then a rabbit. After that the kid will scream for a cat, and then a dog. Next it will be a horse, then a water buffalo, and finally an elephant. The cost of pet food will drive you to the poor house.

Accepted Answer

A)  No fallacy. 
B)  Slippery slope. 
C)  Begging the question. 
D)  False cause. 
E)  Appeal to force.

Question 2

You had better believe in God, because if you don't, then you'll suffer the torment of eternal damnation.

Accepted Answer

A)  Appeal to force. 
B)  Missing the point. 
C)  Appeal to pity. 
D)  No fallacy. 
E)  Argument against the person, circumstantial.

Question 3

The sign on the restaurant wall says "No Smoking Rules Enforced." Therefore, we can probably smoke, since the smoking rules aren't enforced.

Accepted Answer

A)  Missing the point. 
B)  Appeal to ignorance. 
C)  Amphiboly. 
D)  No fallacy. 
E)  Equivocation.

Question 4

Philosopher Peter Singer argues for the right to kill handicapped newborn babies. But Singer is a disgusting irreligious crypto Nazi who is sometimes described as the most dangerous man in the world today. Obviously his arguments are nonsense.

Accepted Answer

A)  Missing the point. 
B)  Argument against the person, abusive. 
C)  No fallacy. 
D)  Red herring. 
E)  Appeal to unqualified authority.

Question 5

Every member of the drill team marches very well. Therefore, the drill team marches very well.

Accepted Answer

A)  Composition. 
B)  False cause. 
C)  Hasty generalization. 
D)  No fallacy. 
E)  Division.

Question 6

The Surgeon General recently issued a report arguing that one third of the cancer fatalities in the United States can be attributed to smoking. But this claim is ridiculous. Smoking produces a great deal of enjoyment for millions of Americans. What would life be like if you can't enjoy something once in a while?

Accepted Answer

A)  Slippery slope. 
B)  Red herring. 
C)  Appeal to unqualified authority. 
D)  Complex question. 
E)  No fallacy.

Question 7

America is a wealthy nation. Therefore, every American must be wealthy.

Accepted Answer

A)  No fallacy. 
B)  Division. 
C)  Hasty generalization. 
D)  Composition. 
E)  Appeal to unqualified authority.

Question 8

Nobody has ever proved that pornography results in increased incidents of rape and child abuse. Thus, we can only conclude that pornography has no effect on the crime rate.

Accepted Answer

A)  False dichotomy. 
B)  Appeal to ignorance. 
C)  No fallacy. 
D)  Hasty generalization. 
E)  Appeal to unqualified authority.

Question 9

Renee Richards argues in favor of reducing the patient load of our nurses. But it's obvious why she says this. Renee is a nurse herself, so of course she wants a reduced patient load. Nobody should pay too much attention to her pleas.

Accepted Answer

A)  You, too (tu quoque). 
B)  No fallacy. 
C)  Appeal to unqualified authority. 
D)  Argument against the person, abusive. 
E)  Argument against the person, circumstantial.

Question 10

During the two years that Abigail has served as president of the Crescent Society, several of its members have suffered from insomnia. Thus, in the interests of better sleep for these people, the Society should elect a new president.

Accepted Answer

A)  No fallacy. 
B)  Equivocation. 
C)  Weak analogy. 
D)  Appeal to ignorance. 
E)  False cause.

Question 11

Which fallacy occurs when a general rule is applied to a specific case that the rule was not intended to cover?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hasty generalization. 
B)  Tu quoque (you, too). 
C)  Composition. 
D)  Accident. 
E)  Division.

Question 12

Max argues that we should upgrade our firefighting equipment by purchasing a fleet of new trucks with all the bells and whistles. But it's only natural that he should argue this way. Max is a firefighter himself, and he just wants a fancy new truck to ride around in.

Accepted Answer

A)  Appeal to unqualified authority. 
B)  Argument against the person, circumstantial. 
C)  Argument against the person, abusive. 
D)  Appeal to ignorance. 
E)  No fallacy.

Question 13

Professor Smyth argues for the adoption of stronger standards covering food imported from China. But Smyth is a disgusting leftist ex hippie who reportedly has sex with his female students. Smyth's arguments are trash, just as he is.

Accepted Answer

A)  Argument against the person, abusive. 
B)  Red herring. 
C)  Appeal to unqualified authority. 
D)  You, too (tu quoque). 
E)  No fallacy.

Question 14

Congressman Baxter, I know you will want to support our application to clear-cut the old growth timber in the Great Northern forest. After all, surely you don't want the media to find out about that affair you've been having with a certain Capitol Hill intern.

Accepted Answer

A)  Division. 
B)  Appeal to the people. 
C)  No fallacy. 
D)  Appeal to pity. 
E)  Appeal to force.

Question 15

Anyone who fails a drivers test is allowed to retake it. But a calculus test is no less of a test than a drivers test. Therefore, anyone who fails a calculus test should be allowed to retake it.

Accepted Answer

A)  False cause. 
B)  No fallacy. 
C)  Weak analogy. 
D)  Accident. 
E)  Missing the point.

Question 16

If you pay him $200 up front, Freddie promises to paint your garage. But you'd be crazy to pay him anything up front because Freddie lies all the time, and every dime he gets his hands on he uses to feed his methamphetamine habit.

Accepted Answer

A)  No fallacy. 
B)  Accident. 
C)  Argument against the person, abusive. 
D)  False cause. 
E)  Argument against the person, circumstantial.

Question 17

We know for certain that no armadillos are aardvarks. It is therefore equally certain that no aardvarks are armadillos.

Accepted Answer

A)  Begging the question. 
B)  Weak analogy. 
C)  No fallacy. 
D)  Hasty generalization. 
E)  Equivocation.

Question 18

Nobody has ever proved that capitalist economics corrupts people's values, as Karl Marx claimed. Therefore, we must conclude that capitalism does not corrupt people's values.

Accepted Answer

A)  Suppressed evidence. 
B)  Appeal to ignorance. 
C)  Appeal to unqualified authority. 
D)  Hasty generalization. 
E)  No fallacy.

Question 19

During the past 200 years nobody has ever been cured of Lou Gehrig's disease. Therefore, nobody will be cured of Lou Gehrig's disease in the next 200 years.

Accepted Answer

A)  False cause. 
B)  Accident. 
C)  Suppressed evidence. 
D)  Equivocation. 
E)  No fallacy.

Question 20

Those boarding a bus are never required to pass through a security checkpoint. Therefore, those boarding an airliner should not be required to pass through a security checkpoint.

Accepted Answer

A)  Begging the question. 
B)  False cause. 
C)  Weak analogy. 
D)  No fallacy. 
E)  Missing the point.

Exam 3: Informal Fallacies