Key Terms Fallacy

Question 1

Fallacy

Answer 1

Error in reasoing

Question 2

Subjectivism

Answer 2

Holding that something is true merely because we want or believe it to be true

Question 3

Appeal to majority

Answer 3

The argument supports a position by appealing to the shared opinion of a large group of people, e.g. the majority, the general public, etc. The presumed authority comes solely from the size, not the credentials, of the group cited

Question 4

Appeal to emotion

Answer 4

To persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel

Question 5

Appeal to force (argumentum ad baculum)

Answer 5

Argumentation using force or the threat of force to convince others to accept an argument’s conclusion. Appealing to force is considered fallacious because it uses an irrelevant basis for making an argument, such as physical force, emotional manipulation, or scare tactics.

explicitly say “Agree that I’m right or else I will beat you up.”

Question 6

Abusive (ad hominem)

Answer 6

This fallacy occurs when, instead of addressing someone’s argument or position, you irrelevantly attack the person or some aspect of the person who is making the argument

arguments attack the person’s character

Question 7

Poisoning the Well

Answer 7

Cause harm to the reputation or credibility of someone or something, especially by spreading false or negative information.

an accusation rooted in the 14th century Bubonic Plague, blames Jews for purposefully spreading disease. As the Black Death spread across Europe, Jews were accused of spreading the disease through public drinking wells. Thousands of innocent Jews were murdered in response.

information

Question 8

Appeal to Authority (argumentum ad verecundiam)

Answer 8

Or, it is when we appeal to an authority with whom other authorities disagree. 1) Peace is the best strategy because Einstein said so. Note: this is fallacious because Einstein was an expert in physics, not political science. 2) You should take those vitamins because Brad Pitt said they are the best.

Question 9

False Dichotomy

Answer 9

You have two choices. Either you eat an apple every day, or you get sick and need to see the doctor. Of course, this isn’t true. These are not the only two options you have, but such is the fallacy of the false dichotomy.

There are more than two choices but the argument is making it to the two choices.

Question 10

Hasty Generalization

Answer 10

“I’ve met two people in Greece so far, and they were both nice to me. So, all the people I will meet in Greece will be nice to me.” Here, the speaker makes an absolute statement. In other words, they imply zero error margin (“all the people”)

Question 11

Accident

Answer 11

I believe one should never deliberately hurt another person, that’s why I can never be a surgeon. Explanation: Classifying surgery under “hurting” someone, is to ignore the obvious benefits that go with surgery.

People who eat oatmeal have healthy hearts.

Assuming

Question 12

Slippery Slope

Answer 12

A course of action is rejected because, with little or no evidence, one insists that it will lead to a chain reaction resulting in an undesirable end or ends

If students are required to wear uniforms to school, they’ll do less shopping at local clothing stores. With less business, the stores will close, which will hurt our local economy.

Question 13

Composition

Answer 13

Invalidly inferring the quality of the whole from the quality of the parts

“This tire is made of rubber; therefore, the vehicle of which it is a part is also made of rubber.” This is fallacious, because vehicles are made with a variety of parts, most of which are not made of rubber

Question 14

Division

Answer 14

Occurs when the premise that a collective whole has a certain nature is improperly used to infer that a part of this whole must also be of this nature

The United States is the richest country in the world. Therefore, everyone in the United States must be rich and live well.

Question 15

Begging the question

Answer 15

Occurs when an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it. In other words, you assume without proof the stand/position, or a significant part of the stand, that is in question. Begging the question is also called arguing in a circle.

Question 16

Complex Question

Answer 16

Occurs when someone asks a question that presupposes the answer to another question that has not been established or accepted by the other person.

“Have you stopped beating your wife?”

Question 17

Equivocation

Answer 17

Occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used ambiguously, with one meaning in one portion of the argument and then another meaning in another portion of the argument. Examples: I have the right to watch “The Real World.” Therefore it’s right for me to watch the show.

“When I asked you if I should turn left, you said right. Therefore, I was correct and you cannot get mad at me.”

Question 18

Appeal to Ignorance

Answer 18

This fallacy occurs when you argue that your conclusion must be true, because there is no evidence against it. This fallacy wrongly shifts the burden of proof away from the one making the claim.

Question 19

Diversion

Answer 19

Fallacies of diversion attempt to win an argument by changing the subject, hoping that you will be distracted long enough not to notice that your opponent has diverted attention away from the subject and has focused on something else (generally something humorous, emotional, or unsolvable).

Question 20

Missing the point

Answer 20

The informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may or may not be logically valid and sound, but (whose conclusion) fails to address the issue in question.

Question 21

Straw Man

Answer 21

If a parent tells their child they can’t see their friends tonight and the child responds, “Why do you hate me?” the child’s response is a straw man argument because it creates an exaggeration.

Question 22

Red herring

Answer 22

Consists in diverting attention from the real issue by focusing instead on an issue having only a surface relevance to the first.

“We can’t raise salaries, but we still provide great benefits for our employees.” This argument is a red herring because the mention of employee benefits distracts from the real point, that salaries will not be raised.