Logical Fallacies

Question 1

What is a logical fallacy?

Answer 1

An argument that contains a mistake in reasoning

An argument that doesn’t support or prove what it is supposed too

Question 2

What are the 3 types of fallacies?

Answer 2

Relevance

Induction

Formal

Question 3

Define fallacies of relevance

Answer 3

Occur when an argued offers reasons that are logically irrelevant to his or her conclusion

(Unrelated to truth)

Question 4

Define red herring

Answer 4

The argued changes the subject and takes the listener down a unrelated path

Question 5

What are Ad Hominem Fallacies?

Answer 5

Attempts to dismiss an argument by attacking the person who made the argument, rather than attacking the claim itself

Question 6

Define poisoning the well

Answer 6

Trying to dismiss what someone is going to say, by talking about his/her character or circumstances

Question 7

What is guilt by association?

Answer 7

An opponents views are dismissed because the opponent is associated with a disreputable group

Question 8

Define genetic fallacy

Answer 8

When an idea is either accepted or rejected because of its source, rather than its merit

Question 9

What is the false dilemma fallacy?

Answer 9

Two alternative options are presented as the only possibilities, when in fact more possibilities exist

Question 10

Define the straw man

Answer 10

Someone attempts to dismiss a contention by distorting or misrepresenting it to make it weaker

Question 11

What is misplacing the burden of proof?

Answer 11

Arguing that we should believe a claim because nobody has proved it false (or vice versa)

Question 12

What is begging the question mean?

Answer 12

An arguer includes the conclusion to be proven within a premise of the argument

Question 13

What are fallacies that appeal to emotion?

Answer 13

Emotions are substituted for evidence

Question 14

What are two wrongs make a right?

Answer 14

When an allegation of wrongdoing is countered with a similar allegation

Question 15

Define wishful thinking

Answer 15

When we forgot that wanting something to be true is irrelevant to whether it is true

Question 16

What are fallacies of induction?

Answer 16

Where premises give us little or no reason to believe the conclusion is more likely to be true than false

Fallacies of induction are types of very weak inductive reasoning

Question 17

Define inductive generalisation

Answer 17

Reaching a conclusion about a population based on what’s known about a sample of that population

Question 18

Define fallacy of generalisation

Answer 18

Reaching a conclusion about a population that is based on flawed logic or evidence

Question 19

What is the fallacy of accident?

Answer 19

Occurs when it is assumed that a general statement applies to a specific case

Question 20

Define weak analogy

Answer 20

Arguments based on debatable or unimportant similarities between things

Question 21

Define fallacies appeal to authority

Answer 21

When an authority is presented instead of evidence, but the authority is not an expert on the issue, or may be biased or lying

Question 22

Define fallacious appeal to popularity

Answer 22

Treating an issue that cannot be settled by public opinion as if it can

Question 23

Define fallacious appeal to common practice or tradition

Answer 23

Something is right because it’s always been done before

Question 24

Define Bandwagon Fallacy

Answer 24

People tend to do or believe something because others do or believe it

(To align our beliefs with the beliefs of those around us)

Question 25

What are cause and effect fallacies?

Answer 25

An argument that relies on a very unlikely causal connection, or attempts to establish a causal connection based on very weak evidence

Question 26

Define Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Answer 26

Assuming that the fact that one event came after another establishes that it was caused by it

Question 27

Define Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc

Answer 27

Assuming that the fact that one event happened around the same time as another establishes that it was caused by it

Question 28

Define slippery slope

Answer 28

An argument that falsely assumes that one thing must lead to another

Question 29

Define untestable evidence

Answer 29

Explanations that are vague, circular or not testable in principle