Define that Fallacy
Give an Example
What Fallacy is It?
Spot the Fallacy
Which one is the Odd one Out?
100
Based on the definition what is this fallacy: A form of equivocation often used in political debates. It seeks to draw comparisons between different, often unrelated things, to make a point that one is just as bad as the other or just as good as the other. It may be used to draw attention to an unrelated issue by comparing it to a well-known bad event, in an attempt to say one is as bad as the other. Or, it may be used in an attempt to claim one isn't as bad as the other by comparison.
What is moral equivalence
100
Straw Man
Does your example fit this definition: When a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.
100
What fallacy is this: Example 1: More people die in hospitals than anywhere else. Therefore, going to a hospital causes death. Example 2: Statistically, more pedestrians are hit at crosswalks by automobiles than when jaywalking. Therefore, crosswalks are not safe.
What is post hoc ergo propter hoc Why: The fallacy is based upon the mistaken notion that simply because one thing happens after another, the first event was a cause of the second event.
100
Anthony and Marie have a heated argument. During their fight, Anthony tells Marie that he hates her and wished that she would get hit by a bus. Later that evening, Anthony receives a call from a friend who tells him that Maria is in the hospital because she was struck by a bus. Anthony immediately blames himself and reasons that if he hadn't made that comment during their fight, Marie would not have been hit. What logical fallacy has Anthony committed? A) Post hoc ergo propter hoc B) Red herring C) Slippery slope D) Ad hominem
The correct answer is a, post hoc ergo propter hoc
100
A) Lisa was brainwashed as a child into thinking that people are generally good. Therefore, people are not generally good. B) Winthrop should pave the lot behind Dinkins. Besides, I can never find a parking space on campus anyway. C) He was born to Catholic parents and raised as a Catholic until his confirmation in 8th grade. Therefore, he is bound to want to defend some Catholic traditions and, therefore, cannot be taken seriously. D)The current Chancellor of Germany was in the Hitler Youth at age 3. With that sort of background, his so called 'reform' plan must be a facist program.
The odd one out is b, red herring. The rest of the answers are all genetic fallacies.
200
Based on the definition what is this fallacy: Is an irrelevant topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention of listeners or readers from THE ORIGINAL issue. In literature, this fallacy is often used in detective or suspense novels to mislead readers or characters or to induce them to make false conclusions.
What is red herring
200
Genetic
Does your example fit this definition: A fallacy of irrelevance where a conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone's origin rather than its current meaning or context.
200
What fallacy is this: If we legalize marijuana, then more people would start to take crack and heroin, and we'd have to legalize those too. Before long we'd have a nation full of drug-addicts on welfare. Therefore we cannot legalize marijuana.
What is slippery slope Why: Because it is a logical device in which a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any rational argument or demonstrable mechanism for the inevitability of the event in question.
200
Dana is trying to raise money for her university's library. In her address to the board of trustees, she says, "We must raise tuition to cover the cost of new books. Otherwise the library will be forced to close." Of what fallacy is this an example? A) Either-or B) Ad populum C) Genetic D) Begging the claim
The correct answer is a, either-or
200
A) Smith, who is from England, decides to attend graduate school at Ohio State University. He has never been to the US before. The day after he arrives, he is walking back from an orientation session and sees two white squirrels chasing each other around a tree. In his next letter home, he tells his family that American squirrels are white. B) My father smoked four packs of cigarettes a day since age fourteen and lived until age sixty-nine. Therefore, smoking really can’t be that bad for you. C) Four out of five dentists recommend Happy Glossy Smiley toothpaste brand. Therefore, it must be great. D)The Bible is the Word of God because God tells us it is... in the Bible.
The odd one out is d, circular argument. The rest of the answers are all hasty generalization fallacies.
300
Based on the definition what is the fallacy: When a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position.
What is straw man
300
Either/Or
Does your example fit this definition: A fallacy in which a party in an argument characterizes a complex problem as having only two possible solutions.
300
What fallacy is this: Last semester I took a philosophy class, and it was really hard. This semester, I'm taking another philosophy class, and it's hard, too. Philosophy classes are hard.
What is hasty generalization Why: It is an informal fallacy of faulty generalization by reaching an inductive generalization based on insufficient evidence—essentially making a hasty conclusion without considering all of the variables.
300
Louise is running for class president. In her campaign speech she says, "My opponent does not deserve to win. She is a smoker and she cheated on her boyfriend last year." What fallacy has Louise committed? A) Begging the claim B) Ad hominem C) Red herring D) Ad populum
The correct answer is b, ad hominem
300
A) Paranormal activity is real because I have experienced what can only be described as paranormal activity. B) Most people in this room understand that slavery is not over in America or in the Western world or in the world in general. The animals are today's slaves. C) Smoking cigarettes is nothing short of suicide: the smoker is willingly killing herself. D) Somebody who participates in assisted suicide is as bad as Hitler.
The odd one out is a, begging the claim. The rest of the answers are all moral equivalence fallacies.
400
Based on the definition what is the fallacy: A logical device, but it is usually known under its fallacious form, in which a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any rational argument or demonstrable mechanism for the inevitability of the event in question.
What is slippery slope
400
Ad hominem
Does your example fit this definition: Attacking the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, when the attack on the person is completely irrelevant to the argument the person is making.
400
What fallacy is this: I believe that Frosted Flakes are great because it says so on the Frosted Flakes packaging.
What is circular argument Why: It is a logical fallacy in which the reasoner begins with what they are trying to end with.
400
Jeff's mom is concerned when she finds out that he skipped class one day. She tells him that she is concerned that since he skipped one class, he will start skipping more frequently. Then he will drop out altogether, never graduate or get into college, and end up unemployed and living at home for the rest of his life. What type of fallacy has Jeff's mom committed? A) Post hoc ergo propter hoc B) Equivocation C) Hasty generalization D) Slippery slope
The correct answer is d, slippery slope
400
A) Sure, South Carolina is quite a distance from Maryland, but it is better for our business model. And, really, who doesn’t like warmer weather? The weather will definitely be a plus. B) Sam is riding her bike in her home town in Maine, minding her own business. A station wagon comes up behind her and the driver starts beeping his horn and then tries to force her off the road. As he goes by, the driver yells "get on the sidewalk where you belong!" Sam sees that the car has Ohio plates and concludes that all Ohio drivers are jerks. C) I am pretty sure that evolution is not a very good explanation for human life. Anyway, I am pretty offended that anyone would suggest that I came from a monkey. D) Sure, we haven’t given raises in over five years to our employees. You know, we work really hard to make a good product. We try to ensure the best customer service, too.
The odd one out is b, hasty generalization. The rest of the answers are all red herring fallacies.
500
Based on the definition what is the fallacy: The appeal to the popularity of a claim as a reason for accepting it.
What is ad pupulum
500
Ad populum
Does your example fit this definition: A fallacy in which the appeal to the popularity of a claim as a reason for accepting it.
500
What fallacy is this: Example 1: Freedom of speech is important because people should be able to speak freely. Example 2: The death penalty is wrong because killing people is immoral. Example 3: Ghosts are real because I have had experiences with them myself.
What is begging the claim Why: It is a fallacy in which the premises include the claim that the conclusion is true or (directly or indirectly) assume that the conclusion is true.
500
Consider the following exchange: Debbie: I think capital punishment is a necessary component of our justice system and should remain legal. Dylan: So you are saying that murder should be legal and it is okay for us to go around killing people just because we think they deserve it? That isn't right. Of what fallacy is Dylan guilty? A) Red herring B) Either-or C) Straw man D) Slippery slope
The correct answer is c, straw man
500
A) The only reason you are a Christian is because you were born in the United States. If you had been born in Saudi Arabia you would be a Muslim. Therefore Christianity is false. B) Sure, the media claims that Senator Wales was reading pornography. But we all know about the media's credibility, don't we. C) Somebody who participates in assisted suicide is as bad Hitler. D) I was brought up to believe in a god, my parents told me a god exists, and my parents would never lie to me, so this god must exist.
The odd one out is c, moral equivalence. The rest of the answers are all genetic fallacies.
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