Review

Question 1

the validity of an argument has nothing to do with the truth of its premises or conclusion.

Answer 1

true

Question 2

if all the premises of a deductively valid argument are true, its conclusion is true because…

Answer 2

The claim in the conclusion has already been stated in the premises (perhaps implicitly)

Question 3

inductively valid reasoning leads to conclusions already stated in the premises.

Answer 3

false. (this is the definition of deductive validity)

Question 4

The idea behind valid induction is that of learning from experience

Answer 4

true.

Question 5

The way the world works does not differ depending on the race or sex of those trying to discover the way the world works

Answer 5

true

Question 6

psychological studies show that people…

Answer 6

ignore evidence that undermines their deeply-held beliefs.

Question 7

we should evaluate how well-grounded a belief is by considering the nature of human nature, the reliability of information sources, and the scientific method.

Answer 7

true.

Question 8

valid inductive reasoning can include reasoning by enumeration, reasoning by analogy, and statistical bias.

Answer 8

false. (“bias” would not be valid reasoning)

Question 9

beliefs about values should be separated from matters of fact, which…

Answer 9

can be proven true or false

Question 10

A strawman fallacy involves misrepresenting an opponents position to make it easier to attack him or her; it can also involve attacking a weaker opponent while ignoring a stronger one

Answer 10

true.

Question 11

to avoid the fallacy of appeal to authority, one of the questions we should ask ourselves is whether we have the time to reason the matter out for ourselves

Answer 11

true

Question 12

advertisements suggesting that celebrities prefer a particular brand are examples of which kind of fallacy:

Answer 12

appeal to authority

Question 13

someone is purposely hiding something if they fail to bring relevant evidence to bear on an argument

Answer 13

false, they could have simply overlooked it

Question 14

thomas jefferson, who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “all men” have the “unalienable right” to freedom, was a slave owner throughout his life. this is an example of which fallacy?

Answer 14

inconsistency

Question 15

politicians frequently evade issues involving complex problems, which is a version of the fallacy begging the question.

Answer 15

true.

Question 16

attacks on character or credentials are sometimes relevant to an argument.

Answer 16

true

Question 17

what fallacy does the following argument represent: “we should not legalize medicinal uses of marijuana, even by prescription. That just opens the floodgates to complete legalization of the drug”

Answer 17

slippery slope

Question 18

irrelevant reason is the fallacy of trying to prove something with evidence that has little or nothing to do with the argument

Answer 18

true

Question 19

The statement, “the hyatt regency is an expensive hotel, so it’s rooms must all be wonderful,” is a fallacy

Answer 19

true

Question 20

teacher evaluations should be linked to student performance on standardized test because the theory that good teachers will produce students who score well on these tests is not a fallacy

Answer 20

false

Question 21

Michelle Bachmann, in the 2012 primaries, charged that Texas Governor Rick Perry was putting girls in danger of mental illness because he required them to be vaccinated against sexually transmitted diseases. By linking vaccinations and autism, she committed which fallacy?

Answer 21

questionable cause

Question 22

into 2012, mitt Romney’s campaign advisor, suggesting that President Obama was responsible for “a hostile workplace for women” in the US economy, said “we have actually now the highest number of single mother families living in poverty than at any time in recorded history - A 14% increase since President Obama took office” this quote illustrates which fallacy?

Answer 22

questionable use of statistics or questionable cause

Question 23

The only cause of misleading polls is when posters ask leading or misleading questions

Answer 23

false, in fact many things can go wrong

Question 24

quibbling means making arguments about every little thing, even if those little arguments are true

Answer 24

true

Question 25

words don’t have emotive power. They’re just words after all

Answer 25

false

Question 26

common rhetorical devices used to manipulate people include “slanting”, obfuscation, “Weasel words”, and fine print disclaimers

Answer 26

true

Question 27

euphemisms can make harsh or unacceptable language seem acceptable

Answer 27

true

Question 28

calling an employee a “subcontractor” or a “manager” does not allow a company to get around or take advantage of laws, rules, or customs.

Answer 28

false

Question 29

colleges employ “adjunct” (part time) faculty because

Answer 29

it is the academic equivalent of “downsizing”

Question 30

to reason cogently, we need to consider these three things:

Answer 30

1) all relevant information 2) the believability of that information 3) reasoning is valid