Ch 3.3: Fallacies of Weak Induction

Question 1

What is the appeal to unqualified authority?

Answer 1

The appeal to unqualified authority fallacy is a variety of the argument from authority and occurs when the cited authority or witness lacks credibility

Question 2

What is the appeal to ignorance?

Answer 2

When the premises of an argument state that nothing has been proved one way or the other about something, and the conclusion then makes a definite assertion about that thing, the argument commits an appeal to ignorance

Question 3

What is hasty generalization?

Answer 3

Hasty generalization is a fallacy that affects inductive generalizations. The fallacy occurs when there is a reasonable likelihood that the sample is not representative of the group.

Question 4

What is false cause?

Answer 4

The fallacy of false cause occurs whenever the link between premises and conclusion depends on some imagined causal connection that probably does not exist

Question 5

What is the false cause, post hoc ergo propter hoc (“after this, therefor on account of this”)?

Answer 5

This variety of the fallacy presupposes that just because one event precedes another event, the first event causes the second.

Question 6

What is the false cause, non causa pro causa (“not the cause for the cause”)?

Answer 6

This variety is committed when what is taken to the the cause of something is not really the cause at all and the mistake is based on something other than mere temporal succession.

Question 7

What is the false cause, oversimplified cause?

Answer 7

This variety occurs when a multitude of causes is responsible for a certain effect but the arguer selects just one of these causes and represents it as if it were the sole cause

Question 8

What is the false cause, gamer’s fallacy?

Answer 8

This fallacy is committed whenever the conclusion of an argument depends on the supposition that independent events in a game of chance are causally related