Question: Witness Clark testified that he saw the defendant emerge from the burgled house with an expensive camera. But, members of the jury, you should reject this testimony because Clark suffers from brain damage, and he has trouble remembering things accurately.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority
b. No fallacy
c. Argument against the person, circumstantial
d. Appeal to ignorance
e. Appeal to pity
Answer: c. Argument against the person, circumstantial
Question: The proposal to ban smoking in the workplace is a terrible idea. Consider the plight of the poor smokers. Just to get a puff, they’ll have to go outside, where they’ll face the icy blasts of winter, torrential rains in the spring, and the blazing sun in summer. Nobody should ever be subjected to such torture.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point
b. Appeal to force
c. False cause
d. No fallacy
e. Appeal to pity
Answer: e. Appeal to pity
Question: During the past 100 years, the average minimum wage in the U.S. has been less than $2 per hour. Therefore, during the next 100 years, the average minimum wage in the U.S. will be less than $2 per hour.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to ignorance
b. No fallacy
c. Accident
d. Suppressed evidence
e. Red herring
Answer: d. Suppressed evidence
Question: This one-liter glass vial contains a 3 percent solution of sulfuric acid. Therefore, every cubic centimeter of its contents is a 3 percent solution of sulfuric acid.
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy
b. Suppressed evidence
c. Division
d. Hasty generalization
e. Composition
Answer: a. No fallacy
Question: Philosopher Peter Singer argues for the right to kill handicapped newborn babies. But Singer is a disgusting irreligious crypto Nazi who is sometimes described as the most dangerous man in the world today. Obviously, his arguments are nonsense.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point
b. Argument against the person, abusive
c. No fallacy
d. Red herring
e. Appeal to unqualified authority
Answer: b. Argument against the person, abusive
Question: Every member of the drill team marches very well. Therefore, the drill team marches very well.
Answer Choices:
a. Composition
b. False cause
c. Hasty generalization
d. No fallacy
e. Division
Answer: a. Composition
Question: A few days after Margi joined the Democratic Party she broke her foot and lost her job. Therefore, it’s important that you never join up with the Democrats.
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy
b. Slippery slope
c. False cause
d. Appeal to the people
Answer: c. False cause
Question: Some individuals with political aspirations are incompetent bozos. Therefore, some incompetent bozos are individuals with political aspirations.
Answer Choices:
a. Amphiboly
b. Weak analogy
c. Begging the question
d. No fallacy
e. Argument against the person, abusive
Answer: d. No fallacy
Question: Senator Carter, I’m sure you will be happy to cast the deciding vote for our request to drill for oil in the Big Glacier wilderness area. After all, we know your wife is a double agent for the CIA, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want her identity made known to certain foreign governments.
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy
b. Appeal to force
c. Argument against the person, circumstantial
d. Straw man
e. Appeal to pity
Answer: b. Appeal to force
Question: This idea of same-sex marriage is an abomination! The Holy Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. This sacred rule is engraved in the order of nature by almighty God! Who are these perverts who would undermine the sanctity of holy wedlock? Down with the gays! To hell with the femiNazis!
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority
b. Suppressed evidence
c. Argument against the person, abusive
d. No fallacy
e. Appeal to the people
Answer: e. Appeal to the people
Question: If media pundits accept bribes, then all credibility will vanish. If media pundits accept bribes, then national cynicism will grow. Thus, if all credibility vanishes, then national cynicism will grow.
Answer Choices:
a. This argument contains no fallacy.
b. This argument contains a fallacy of relevance.
c. This argument contains a formal fallacy.
d. This argument contains a fallacy of ambiguity.
e. This argument contains a fallacy of grammatical analogy.
Answer: c. This argument contains a formal fallacy.
Question: Cynthia, you know a lot about geography. Tell me. Does Zambia share a border with the Congo?
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy
b. Begging the question
c. Division
d. Complex question
e. Missing the point
Answer: a. No fallacy
Question: Richard has been doing very poorly in biology this term. Therefore, he should schedule an appointment with the professor so he can criticize and berate her teaching ability.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority
b. No fallacy
c. Straw man
d. Missing the point
e. Argument against the person, abusive
Answer: e. Argument against the person, abusive
Question: Sugar is sweet. Therefore, its chemical components, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, are sweet.
Answer Choices:
a. Missing the point
b. False cause
c. Division
d. No fallacy
e. Composition
Answer: c. Division
Question: SureShotJoe, who posts regularly on the Yahoo message boards, says that the stock of Super Tech should triple this year. Referring to Super Tech, he writes, “there stock shood goe throo the roof!” We can only conclude that Super Tech offers a great investment opportunity.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to unqualified authority
b. Straw man
c. Argument against the person, abusive
d. Red herring
e. No fallacy
Answer: a. Appeal to unqualified authority
Question: After returning from a month-long vacation, Robert turned the key in his usually reliable Camry, but nothing happened. The car must have a dead battery.
Answer Choices:
a. Accident
b. No fallacy
c. False cause
d. Composition
e. Appeal to ignorance
Answer: b. No fallacy
Question: The use of marijuana for medical purposes should never be allowed. Before long it will be marijuana for anyone who wants it. Then it will be hash, cocaine, and crack. In no time they’ll want crystal, ecstasy, and heroin. In the end, everyone will be so drugged out they won’t be able to see straight.
Answer Choices:
a. Appeal to force
b. No fallacy
c. Begging the question
d. False cause
e. Slippery slope
Answer: e. Slippery slope
Question: Professor Wilson argues that it is absolutely wrong for students to plagiarize their work. But who is she to talk? I have it on good evidence that Wilson plagiarized her own work when she was a student.
Answer Choices:
a. No fallacy
b. Appeal to unqualified authority
c. Argument against the person, tu quoque
d. Red herring
e. Straw man
Answer: c. Argument against the person, tu quoque