Chapter 5

Question 1

Fallacy

Answer 1

: a type of argument that is both common and defective; a recurring mistake in reasoning

Fallacies often appear to be convincing; they can seem plausible.
They are psychologically persuasive, but not rationally persuasive

Question 2

Formal Fallacy

Answer 2

a type of argument that is defective because of its form

Question 3

Informal Fallacy

Answer 3

: a type of argument that is defective because of its content (what the statements in the argument mean)

Question 4

Principle of Charity

Answer 4

Whenever we find someone’s meaning unclear, we should try to interpret it so that they make sense, rather than interpreting them as saying something silly or confused.

What does this mean, in practice?
Minimize error?
Minimize inexplicable error?

Question 5

What are the invalid argument forms

Answer 5

Affirming the Consequent:
If P, then Q
Q
Therefore, P

Denying the Antecedent:
If P, then Q
Not-P
Therefore, not-Q

Question 6

What are the valid argument forms

Answer 6

(AFFIRMING THE ANTECEDENT)

(DENYING THE CONSEQUENT)

Question 7

Fallacy of Equivocation

Answer 7

An argument whose premises seem to support its conclusion only because a word is used in two different senses in the argument.

Every feather is light

Nothing is both light and dark

Therefore,

C. No feather is dark (A, B)

Question 8

Fallacy with Irrelevant Premises

Answer 8

An argument whose premises have no bearing on the truth of its conclusion

Question 9

Fallacy with Unacceptable Premises

Answer 9

An argument with one or more premise(s) as dubious as the conclusion

Question 10

Fallacies with Irrelevant Premises

Answer 10

Appeal to the person
Fallacy of equivocation
Appeal to tradition
Straw man

Question 11

Appeal to the Person

Answer 11

The fallacy of rejecting a statement (or argument) by criticizing the person who makes it, rather than by criticizing the statement (or argument) itself

Question 12

Tu Quoque (“You also”)

Answer 12

The fallacy of rejecting a statement (or argument) on the grounds that it’s hypocritical of the person to put forward that statement (or argument)

Question 13

Fallacy of Appeal to Tradition

Answer 13

The fallacy of arguing that a statement must be true just because it’s part of a tradition.

Question 14

Straw Man

Answer 14

The fallacy of distorting, weakening, or oversimplifying someone’s position so it can be more easily attacked or refuted

Question 15

Fallacies with Unacceptable Premises

exxamples

Answer 15

False Dilemma
Slippery Slope

Question 16

False Dilemma

Answer 16

Either: Asserting that there are just two alternatives, when there are more.

Or: Treating two alternatives as mutually exclusive, when they are not.

Question 17

Slippery Slope Arguments

Answer 17

Approximate form of a slippery slope argument:
If P, then Q
If Q, then R
It’s unacceptable that R should be the case

Therefore,

4. It’s unacceptable that P should be the case

Question 18

Three questions to ask about slippery slope arguments:

Answer 18

How slippery is the slope? (Are the alleged consequences likely to follow?)
How bad is the bottom of the slope? (Would the alleged consequences really be so bad, if they did follow?)
Do the costs (of ending up at the bottom) outweigh the benefits (of taking the first step)?

Question 19

When is a slippery slope argument a fallacy?

Answer 19

Maybe: when…
No good reason is given for thinking that the alleged consequences really are likely to follow; or
No good reason is given for thinking that the alleged consequences are unacceptable; or
No good reason is given for thinking that the costs (of the alleged consequences) outweigh the benefits (of taking the first step)