Logical Fallacies

Question 1

Hasty generalization

Answer 1

A claim without sufficient supporting evidence

Question 2

Straw Man

Answer 2

You twist or misrepresent your opponent’s argument to make it weaker (often ridiculous).

Question 3

Post Hoc

Answer 3

Occurs when you assume that just because one thing happened after another thing, the first thing caused the second.
Correlation does not equal causation!
A occurs before B; therefore A is the cause of B.

Question 4

Bandwagon

Answer 4

You argue for or against something based on its popularity, or you use a threat of rejection by one’s peers (peer pressure) instead of reasoning.

Question 5

Faulty-analogy

Answer 5

You compare two things that are not, in fact, similar in order to make a point.

Question 6

Begging the question

Answer 6

the support for your argument already assumes the conclusions is true. “Circular logic” or “circular reasoning”

Question 7

Red Herring

Answer 7

you introduce an irrelevant topic or point in order to divert your opponent from the central argument

Question 8

Either/Or Example

Answer 8

We have to decide if we are going to support school choice or if we are going to support failing schools.

Question 9

Straw Man Example

Answer 9

Bill and Jill are arguing about cleaning out their closets: Jill: “We should clean out the closets. They are getting a bit messy.” Bill: “Why, we just went through those closets last year. Do we have to clean them out every day?” Jill: “I never said anything about cleaning them out every day. You just want to keep all your junk forever, which is just ridiculous.”

People who are against free will just want to let all the prisoners out to roam the streets so that no one is safe

Question 10

Post Hoc Example

Answer 10

Since the dawn of widespread public use of the Internet in the 1990s, SAT scores for Critical Reading have fallen to their lowest levels in history. Clearly, the Internet is destroying our children’s reading abilities

Question 11

Bandwagon Example

Answer 11

Bill: “I like classical music and I think it is of higher quality than most modern music.” Jill: “That stuff is for old people.” Dave: “Yeah, only real woosies listen to that crap. Besides, Marilyn Manson rules! He rules!” Bill: “Well, I don’t really like it that much. Manson is much better.”

All the best schools in Texas paddle the bad kids. Isn’t it time for Clear Springs to join the truly competitive schools with this effective policy?

Question 12

Slippery Slope Example

Answer 12

If we prohibit corporal punishment, pretty soon we’ll stop issuing detentions, giving kids dirty looks, or even correcting their errors. The next thing you know, the students will be running the schools!

Question 13

Either/Or

Answer 13

You suggest there are only two ways to think about an issue when multiple perspectives are possible

Question 14

Slippery Slope

Answer 14

You claim that to take one step will inevitably lead to others, all of which are undesirable.

Question 15

Ad hominem

Answer 15

This occurs when you attack the person making the argument instead of the argument itself.

Question 16

Non Sequitur

Answer 16

From Latin, “it does not follow”: Occurs when the claim does not follow logically from the reason/evidence.

Question 17

Hasty generalization Example

Answer 17

Mark Guthrie murdered an entire family and then tried to avoid punishment by pretending to be insane. We need to abolish the insanity defense because all criminals just use it to get a free pass

Question 18

Ad hominem Example

Answer 18

Jack says that corporal punishment is a form of child abuse and teaches kids to use violence to solve their problems. So what? Of course, Jack is against paddling—he’s just a kid!

Question 19

Faulty-analogy Example

Answer 19

Because children are like wild horses, which need to be broken to obey authority, schools should use physical force to make students obey.

Question 20

Non Sequitur Example

Answer 20

Because you didn’t buy me that bicycle, you must not love me.

Because Republicans support Trump’s wall, Republicans are racists.

Because Democrats oppose Trump’s wall, Democrats desire illegal immigration.

Question 21

Begging the question Example

Answer 21

Because it is murder, the death penalty is wrong.

Because people have complete control over their choices, they have free will

Question 22

Red Herring Example

Answer 22

Clear Springs should have off-campus lunch. We have the highest STAAR scores in the district!