Unit 4

Question 1

Informal fallacies

Answer 1

errors in reasoning that do not involve the explicit use of an invalid form

Question 2

abusive ad hominem

Answer 2

direct personal attack on the opponent

Question 3

Circumstantial ad hominem

Answer 3

attempts to discredit by calling attention to the circumstances or situation of the opponent

Question 4

tu quoque

Answer 4

charges the opponent with hypocrisy or inconsistency

Question 5

Argument against the person (ad hominem fallacy)

Answer 5

Premise: instead of providing a rational critique of a statement, attack the person who advances it
Conclusion: the statement is false and dubious

Question 6

Straw man fallacy

Answer 6

Premises: a misrepresentation of the view is false
Conclusion: The view itself is false

Question 7

Appeal to force (ad baculum fallacy)

Answer 7

Premises: You can avoid harm by accepting the statement
Conclusion: This statement is true

Question 8

Appeal to people (ad populum fallacy)

Answer 8

Premises: You will be accepted or valued if you believe this statement
Conclusion: The statement is true

Question 9

Appeal to pity (ad misericoriam fallacy)

Answer 9

Premises: You have reason to pity this person (or group)
Conclusion: You should do X for the benefit of this person, although doing X is not called logically by the reason given

Question 10

Appeal to Ignorance (ad ignorantiam fallacy)

Answer 10

Premises This statement has not been proven true
Conclusion: This statement is false

Premises: This statement has not been proven false
Conclusion: This statement is true (or reasonably believed to be so

Question 11

Equivocation

Answer 11

Premises: Contain a key word that is ambiguous
Conclusion: is reached not by valid logical inference but by trading on the ambiguity of the key word

Question 12

amphiboly

Answer 12

Premises: Contain a sentence that is ambiguous due to faulty structure
Conclusion: Is reached not by valid logical inference but by trading on the structural ambiguity

Question 13

Composition

Answer 13

Premises: The parts have attribute X
Conclusion: The whole group has attribute X

Question 14

Division

Answer 14

Premises: The whole has attribute X
Conclusion: The parts have attribute X

Question 15

Begging the Question (petitio principia)

Answer 15

Assuming the point to be proved. The premises are similar in content to the conclusion but not better known than the conclusion

Question 16

False Dilemma

Answer 16

Using a premise that unjustifiably reduces the number of alternatives to be considered

Question 17

Appeal to unreliable authority (ad verecundiam fallacy)

Answer 17

Appealing to an authority when the reliability of the authority may reasonably be doubted

Question 18

False cause fallacy

Answer 18

Illegitimately assuming that one possible cause of a phenomenon is a cause although reasons are lacking for excluding other possible causes

Question 19

Fallacy of Complex Question

Answer 19

asking a question that illegitimately presupposes some conclusion alluded to in the question

Question 20

Fallacies

Answer 20

Errors in reasoning tend tone psychologically persuasive

Question 21

Formal fallacies

Answer 21

The explicit use of an invalid form