Logical Fallacies

Question 1

What is the Ad Hominem fallacy?

Answer 1

Attacking the opponent’s character instead of their argument.

Question 2

What is an example of the Ad Hominem fallacy?

Answer 2

‘Why would we listen to Steve’s ideas about computers? He dropped out of college!’

Question 3

How can you counter an Ad Hominem fallacy?

Answer 3

‘Steve’s educational background doesn’t negate his knowledge or passion for computers. We should judge his ideas on their own merit.’

Question 4

What is the Straw Man fallacy?

Answer 4

Misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent’s position to make it easier to attack.

Question 5

What is an example of the Straw Man fallacy?

Answer 5

‘People who prefer digital books obviously hate libraries and want to see them disappear.’

Question 6

How can you counter the Straw Man fallacy?

Answer 6

‘That’s a misrepresentation. Preferring one medium doesn’t mean rejecting the other. We can value both e-books and libraries.’

Question 7

What is the Slippery Slope fallacy?

Answer 7

Arguing that a small action will inevitably lead to a series of significant negative consequences without evidence.

Question 8

What is an example of the Slippery Slope fallacy?

Answer 8

‘If we start allowing people to work from home two days a week, before we know it, they’ll want to work from home all the time, then they’ll stop collaborating with their colleagues entirely.’

Question 9

How can you counter the Slippery Slope fallacy?

Answer 9

‘Allowing some flexibility in work location doesn’t necessarily erode office culture. With proper communication tools and guidelines, teams can remain cohesive and productive regardless of where they work.’

Question 10

What is the Appeal to Authority fallacy?

Answer 10

Using an authority as evidence for an argument’s conclusion, especially when the authority is not relevant to the topic.

Question 11

What is an example of the Appeal to Authority fallacy?

Answer 11

‘The golf pro says this is the best soda brand, so it must be.’

Question 12

How can you counter the Appeal to Authority fallacy?

Answer 12

‘While your golf instructor may have expertise in golf, that doesn’t make them a nutrition expert. We should consult more relevant sources.’

Question 13

What is the False Dichotomy fallacy?

Answer 13

Presenting only two options when there might be multiple possibilities.

Question 14

What is an example of the False Dichotomy fallacy?

Answer 14

‘Either you like cats, or you’re a dog person.’

Question 15

How can you counter the False Dichotomy fallacy?

Answer 15

‘It’s possible to like both or neither. Liking one doesn’t exclude appreciation for the other.’

Question 16

What is the Red Herring fallacy?

Answer 16

Introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the subject under discussion.

Question 17

What is an example of the Red Herring fallacy?

Answer 17

‘When asked about the quality of a smartphone’s camera, someone starts discussing how heavy it feels.’

Question 18

How can you counter the Red Herring fallacy?

Answer 18

‘Weight is a separate issue. Let’s first discuss the camera’s quality.’

Question 19

What is the False Cause fallacy?

Answer 19

Claiming a relationship between two things based purely on correlation, not causation.

Question 20

What is an example of the False Cause fallacy?

Answer 20

‘Ice cream sales and shark attacks both increase in the summer, so ice cream causes shark attacks.’

Question 21

How can you counter the False Cause fallacy?

Answer 21

‘These two events happening simultaneously doesn’t mean one causes the other. Both may be related to the summer season but are not causally linked.’