Informal fallacies

Question 1

Begging the question is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 1

This is when we assume the conclusion as a premise.

Question 2

Give an example of a “begging the question” informal fallacy

Answer 2

Marijuana is a danger to society. It threatens us. Hemo. Ganja. Cannabis. Nothing but trouble. Pot. Grass. Dope. Kef. Whatever you call it, keep it away. It can hurt us.

If we ignore the extraneous information in this argument, we can see that the conclusion is assumed and repeated.

Question 3

Circularity is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 3

This is similar to begging the question. It is when the truth of the premises is dependent on the truth of the conclusion creating circular justification.

Question 4

Give an example of a “circularity” fallacy

Answer 4

I am great because people say that I am great

Question 5

An equivocation fallacy is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 5

This is when we use the same term or expression to mean different things in the same argument

Question 6

Give an example of an “equivocation” fallacy

Answer 6

People who take drugs [heroin, meth] on a daily basis are addicted.
Brad takes drugs [panadol] on a daily basis.
Therefore, Brad is addicted to drugs [heroin, meth].

Question 7

A false dichotomy is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 7

This is when we are forced to choose between two possibilities because someone told us that there are only two possibilities.

Question 8

Can arguments containing informal fallacies be formally valid but still fallacious?

Answer 8

Yes

Question 9

Appeal to authority is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 9

This is when we appeal to a source of authority to justify a conclusion

Question 10

Give an example of an appeal to authority fallacy

Answer 10

Ashley Bloomfield told us to get the vaccine

Question 11

A slippery slope fallacy is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 11

This occurs when we have a good reason to take one step in an argument and no good reason to stop taking steps

Question 12

A straw man fallacy is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 12

This occurs when we create a very weak version of our opponent’s argument and then criticise it for being ridiculous.

Question 13

A genetic fallacy is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 13

This occurs when we argue that the historical circumstances and development of a belief show that the belief is false

Question 14

An appeal to consequences is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 14

This is a straightforward rejection of the conclusion on the grounds that its implications are terrible. This is the counterpart of a genetic fallacy. It is an argument that asserts that a given statement is true or false in virtue of the consequence of belief or disbelief

Question 14

Fallacy of consumption is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 14

This is when we ascribe a property to a group of objects because the objects individually have that property

Question 15

Fallacy of division is one informal fallacy. What is it?

Answer 15

we mistakenly ascribe properties of a group to its individual components