Scribd
Upload
667 views

Logical Fallacies Exercise

This document identifies logical fallacies in various arguments. It provides examples of common fallacies such as ad populum, slippery slope, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, personal attack, and post hoc fallacies. The examples analyze arguments and identify the logical fallacy used in each.

Uploaded by

bryamjbriceno
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
667 views

Logical Fallacies Exercise

This document identifies logical fallacies in various arguments. It provides examples of common fallacies such as ad populum, slippery slope, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, personal attack, and post hoc fallacies. The examples analyze arguments and identify the logical fallacy used in each.

Uploaded by

bryamjbriceno
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

Logical Fallacies Exercise

Identify the fallacy in the following arguments.

1. Friedrich Nietzche's attack on social welfare should not be taken


seriously. He is said to have been a degenerate and it is a fact that
he went insane.

Personal attack

2. You can be sure of getting the best watch possible if you buy a
Tempus Fugit watch, because you will be buying the world's
greatest watch.

Circular reasoning

3. I guess I will receive a C on my next English paper because the


teacher said my average was a C so far, so the chances must be that
I'll get a C on the next one.

Hasty gen

4. You will get pregnant if you kiss a boy. I've seen Sally kiss boys
three times, and now she is pregnant.

Hasty generalization
5. My honesty is a matter of record. My enemies have tried to bring
similar charges against me before, but they couldn't prove anything
that stands up in court. That proves I am an honest man.

Post- hoc

6. Just answer the question yes or no. Were you still selling drugs when
you came to this town?

Either/or

6. Senator Jones shouldn't be blamed for having sex with teenage


girls. After all, other senators have done much worse things.

Ad populum

7. How can you justify giving this man life imprisonment by declaring
him guilty of murder? After all, since that time he has become a
devout Christian and proven to be an exemplary prisoner during
the whole time he was on trial.

To emotion

9. I have been a member of the NAACP for ten years. My son cannot
possibly be a bigot.

Adverses consequences
10. American citizens must raise taxes to support schools. Without more
money, our schools cannot possibly do a good job.

Post hoc

11. Rare taste: you either have taste or you don't. (Scotch ad)

Either/or

12. In this freedom-loving land of ours, beer belongs. Exercise your


American freedom and enjoy beer.

Faulty analog

13. Bob True is the best qualified candidate for tax assessor. I've known
him eight years and he is an honorable man, a devout individual, and an
outstanding father.

To emotion

14. Men are all alike: selfish creatures who spend every weekend glued to
a television tube.

Hasty generalization //// Genentic fallacie


15. The pinkos, socialistic liberals, and weirdos in that other department
are naturally against my legislative reforms.

Personal attack

16. I interviewed the entire third floor of my dorm, and my research


shows that most of the people at this university go home on weekends.

Hasty generalization

17. He is using unfair arguments because none of his arguments are


equitable. Because they are not equitable, they are not just, and hence,
unfair.

Circular reasoning

18. Alien abductions must take place because no one has found any
evidence to disprove the eye-witness accounts.

Post Hoc

19. We must put God back in our schools, or else American society will
degenerate.

Either/or fallacie

Tradition
20. You cannot listen to Rush Limbaugh's ideas because he is a
conservative. Conservative speaker's ideas are not worth listening to.
Since Limbaugh is conservative, you cannot listen to his ideas.

Personal attack

21. We should not allow legislation to ban tobacco. After all, tobacco has
been sold for 200 years in America. So, we have no reason to ban it now.

To tratidition

22. Your honor, the defendant must be guilty because no one can prove
his innocence.

Post hoc ( causa y efectos que no tienen nada que ver cuando no hay
relacion entre estas) (o cuando se hace la afirmacion pero no se prueba
nada de que esta es verdadera, y como no hay nadie que tiene pruebas se
joden)

23. Susan passed Writing 121. Joey passed Writing 121. Kory passed
Writing 121. Writing 121 must be an easy class, since three out of three
students I know passed it.

Hasty gen
24. In spite of what some say, the number of the poor is rising in America
because there is no evidence to suggest that number is decreasing.

Post hoc

25. You may tell me that it is cruel to require students to learn Latin. But
is it any less cruel to require them to enroll in physical education courses?
The mental strains of mastering a dead language pale beside the rigors of
athletics.

Faulty anology

26. Bicycles are a means of transportation, and we all know that


transportation is vital to American commerce. If we get rid of all the
current bike lanes, there will be less bikes, hence less transportation.
Getting rid of bicycle lanes would cripple American trade entirely.

Slippery slope / post hoc

27. Why should responsible adults who are eighteen be given extended
credit? Because people who are adults are mature, and anyone who is
mature is responsible enough to have control of money.

Section of Fiendish Difficulty. Some of the following sentences are logical


fallacies, and some aren't. Which do you think constitute logical fallacies
and which are logically valid?

How long have you been sitting in front of the television getting fat and
lazy? Wouldn't you like to find a means of exercise that will shape your
body while you are reading, watching television, or otherwise occupying
your time? The solution is here, the Thigh-master 5000. Purchase a
Thigh-master 5000 today! Actor Tim Allen has recommended the thigh-
master to all of his viewers. He can tell you all the facts. For one, the
Thigh-master 5000 is one of the best designed exercise machines on the
market. Our machine will last nearly forever and is practically
indestructible! It is built out of a duraluminum polyalloy that is less
expensive than other commonly used materials, but it is as strong as steel.
The pseudo-leather cover is soft to the touch and shapes itself to your
body, so you'll find it more comfortable than any other leg-working
machine. Either you will find that our price to be lower than any other
product available, or we will refund your money if you find a better price!
Our competitor, the Leg-o-matic company, does offer a life-time
warranty for their product. But do you really want to purchase products
from a company that had lawsuits last year concerning customer safety?
Obviously they do not have the same commitment to their products that
we do to ours, and therefore our product is thus superior to theirs. So get
with our program! Either you can spend $45 and be in better shape than
ever, or you can remain a couch pvotato. Purchase the Thigh-master 5000
today.

BEGGIN THE QUESTION

You might also like