Chapter 4 Informal fallacies

Question 1

Ad hominem fallacy

Answer 1

Against the Person: 3 forms - abusive adhominem, circumstantial ad hom, Tu quoque

Question 2

Abusive ad hom

Answer 2

direct personal attack

Question 3

Circumstantial ad hominem

Answer 3

discredit by calling attention to the circumstances or situation

Question 4

Tu quoque

Answer 4

charges with hypocrisy or inconsistency

Question 5

Straw Man Fallacy

Answer 5

Premise: Misrepresentation of the view is false.
Conclusion: The view itself is false.

Question 6

Appeal to Force (ad baculum)

Answer 6

Premise: You can avoid harm by accepting this statement.
Conclusion: This statement is true.

Question 7

Appeal to the People (ad populum)

Answer 7

Premise: You will be accepted if you believe this statement.
Conclusion: This statement is true.

Question 8

Appeal to Pity (ad misericordiam)

Answer 8

Premise: You have reason to pity this person.
Conclusion: You should do X for said person though X is not called for logically.

Question 9

Appeal to Ignorance (ad ignorantiam)

Answer 9

Premise: This statement has not been proven true (or false).
Conclusion: This statement is false (true).

Question 10

Equivocation

Answer 10

Premise: Contain key word (phrase) that is ambiguous.
Conclusion: Reached illogically by trading on the ambiguity of key word.

Question 11

Amphiboly

Answer 11

Premise: Contains faulty sentence ambiguous due to structure (grammar).
Conclusion: Reached illogically by trading on structural ambiguity.

Question 12

Composition

Answer 12

Premise: Parts (or members) have attribute X.
Conclusion: The whole (or group) has attribute X.

Question 13

Division

Answer 13

Premise: The whole (or group) has attribute X.
Conclusion: The parts (or members) have attribute X.

Question 14

Begging the question (petitio principii)

Answer 14

Assuming point to be proved. Premises similar to content of conclusion.

Question 15

False Dilemma

Answer 15

Using premise that unjustifiably reduces the number of alternatives to be considered.

Question 16

Appeal to Unreliable Authority (ad verecundiam)

Answer 16

Appealing to authority when reliability to authority reasonably in doubt.

Question 17

False Cause Fallacy

Answer 17

Illegitimately assuming on possible phenomenon is cause without reason to exclude other causes.

Question 18

Fallacy of Complex Question

Answer 18

Asking question that illegitimately presupposes some conclusion alluded to in the question.