3. Premises & Fallacies

Question 1

fallacies

Answer 1

general categories of bad arguments that are commonly used

Question 2

begging the question

Answer 2

attempting to establish the conclusion of the argument by using the conclusion as a premise

Question 3

false dichotomy

Answer 3

wrongly assuming that there are only two alternatives to consider

Question 4

red herring

Answer 4

deliberately raising an irrelevant issue during an argument

Question 5

virtue/guilt by association

Answer 5

accepting/rejecting a claim because of the people/groups associated with it

Question 6

appeal to the person (ad hominem)

Answer 6

rejecting a claim by criticizing the person making it rather than the claim itself

Question 7

equivocation

Answer 7

lack of logical strength due to ambiguity in an argument

i.e. “no man”

Question 8

appeal to ignorance

Answer 8

arguing that the lack of evidence against a claim establishes it

Question 9

appeal to tradition/novelty

Answer 9

arguing that the claim must be true because it’s traditional

Question 10

appeal to popularity

Answer 10

arguing that a claim is true because it is popular

Question 11

appeal to authority

Answer 11

arguing that a claim is true because a person/group of authority supports it

Question 12

anecdotal evidence

Answer 12

using examples one comes across throughout life to establish a claim (typically not enough and they are subject to selection effects)

Question 13

slippery slope

Answer 13

assuming that one step will lead to further, undesirable steps with no good reason

Question 14

decision-point fallacy

Answer 14

arguing that because a line of distinction can’t be drawn at any point in the process, there are no differences or gradations in it (i.e. baldness)