Lessons 33-36

Question 1

What is an Informal Fallacy?

Answer 1

An Informal Fallacy is a popular but invalid (or unhelpful) form of argument

Question 2

What is a Fallacy of distraction?

Answer 2

A fallacy of distraction is an argument that confuses the issues by pointing to information that is actually irrelevant to the conclusion.

Question 3

What is Ipse Dixit?

Answer 3

Ipse Dixit is an illegitimate appeal to authority.

“Caleb said the earth is flat, so the earth is flat.”

Question 4

What is Ad Populum?

Answer 4

Ad Populum is an illegitimate appeal to a majority.

“Everyone says that the earth is flat, so the earth is flat.”

Question 5

What is Ad Baculum?

Answer 5

Ad Baculum is an illegitimate appeal to force.

“If you don’t vote for Biden, The earth will explode.”

Question 6

What is Ad hominem?

Answer 6

Ad hominem is a verbal attack on a person rather than his argument.
“We know that the sun rises, but we also know you are a jerk”

Question 7

What is Bulverism?

Answer 7

Bulverism is attacking a position by pointing out how the arguer came to hold it.
“You only believe there is no gender inequality because you are a man.”

Question 8

What is Tu Quoque?

Answer 8

Tu Quoque points to an inconsistency between a person’s argument and behavior.
“Why should I stop hitting people, you do it too!”

Question 9

What is Ad Ignorantium?

Answer 9

Ad Ignorantium is an argument from lack of evidence

“UFOs must be alien ships because the government has never offered any other explanation”

Question 10

What is Chronological Snobbery?

Answer 10

Chronological Snobbery is an argument based merely on the passage of time.
“Categorical Logic may have worked for Aristotle, but it’s outdated now”

Question 11

What are Fallacies of Ambiguity?

Answer 11

Fallacies of Ambiguity are arguments that confuse the real issues with multiple, vague, or otherwise unclear meanings.

Question 12

What is Equivocation?

Answer 12

Equivocation is chasing the definition of a term in the middle of an argument.
“The only rational being is man
Women are not men
This explains why women are so irrational”

Question 13

What is the fallacy of Accent?

Answer 13

The fallacy of accent alters the meaning of a statement though changed emphasis.
“We should not steal our neighbors car –> We SHOULD not steal our neighbors car, but we will anyway.”

Question 14

What is Amphiboly?

Answer 14

Amphiboly is a vagueness of grammar that disguise or alters meaning.
Headline: Tuna biting off Washington

Question 15

What is Composition?

Answer 15

Composition is the fallacy of transferring attributes from parts to a whole. Goes up.
“Each part of the 747 airplane is designed to be lightweight. So a 747 must not weigh very much”

Question 16

What is division?

Answer 16

Division is the fallacy of transferring attributes from whole to part. Opposite of Composition. Goes down.
“The lakers are a great basketball team, so each member of the team must be a great basketball player.”

Question 17

What are Fallacies of Form?

Answer 17

Fallacies of form are arguments that fail to establish their conclusions because of a weakness in logical structure.

Question 18

What is Circular Reasoning?

Answer 18

Circular Reasoning is secretly assuming what you are trying to prove.
“Japanese are better at math because they are smarter. We know that they are smarter because they always do better at math”

Question 19

What is Post hoc? (Post hoc ergo propter hoc)

Answer 19

Post has is improperly assuming that a sequence in time implies a cause and affect.
“I stubbed my toe right after I did logic, so logic causes me to stub my toe”

Question 20

What is Either/or?

Answer 20

Either/or is making an argument based on a false dilemma.

You must be stupid or lazy because you didn’t finish your homework.

Question 21

What is a Complex Question? (aka. Loaded Question)

Answer 21

A Complex Question is a question crafted to exclude any possible legitimate response.
Have you stopped beating your wife yet?

Question 22

What is Agriorism?

Answer 22

Agriorism is a hasty generalization.

That guy hit me, so all guys must be mean.

Question 23

What are the 2 rules for detecting fallacies?

Answer 23

1. What are they trying to prove?

2. How is he trying to prove it?