The inquiring mind
Avoiding the ?
You can torture the numbers...
Propaganda
Name the Fallacy
Potpourri
Lecture Notes
100

A humble person loves to....

listen

100

What is a Red Herring?

Introducing something irrelevant into the issue.

100

Generalizations are not true or false.  They are this.

Strong or weak.

100

Define propaganda

Any strategy for spreading our beliefs or ideas.

100
You only believe in God because you were raised in a Christain home.

Genetic

100

The most important thing to do at the beginning of an argument is this.  

Define your terms

100

What is a fact?

Something verifiable.

200

True listening involves what?

Ans. may vary but something along these lines:

Truly listening to understand not just to respond.

200

What sentence can you use when someone introduces a Red Herring?

That may be true, but it's irrelevant.

200

Fill in the blanks.

For a strong analogy, the similarities between the  items being compared should be __________ and the differences only __________.

major and minor.

200

Most propaganda techniques appeal to a kind of what?

Emotion.

200

It's true because it's true.

Circular reasoning.


NOT to be confused with a fundamental law of logic which states "A statement is either true or false."

200

The most important question to answer before any arguement is this.

What is the issue?

200

A statement can be true by definition.

Give me a statement that is false by definition. (Make one up.) 

Ex.  A triangle has 4 sides.


300

How do we learn to think?

Ask intelligent questions.

Go research the answers.

300

True or False: "I don't know" is a Red Herring.

False

300

True or false.

A weak analogy to help someone understand a complex issue is a fallacy.

False.

Not everything is a fallacy!  Look for fallacies when someone is trying to convince you to do, think, believe, or not do something.  (This weak analogy was just used to educate.  Like water through a hose is similar to electricity.)

300

What propaganda technique is basically the opposite of Band Wagon?

Snob Appeal.

300

Mrs. Beddo to class:  How excited are you to take the final next week!!?

Loaded question.

300

Whose reality is really true?

Only God's reality is certainly true.  

Our "reality" can be warped by experiences, sin, medical conditions, trauma, or other things. (ie the color-blind example)

300

Give me an example of a self-report. (Make one up.)

Ex.: I think the moon is made of cheese.

Must have 

I think, I believe, I feel, IMO, etc.


400

Name at least 2 different sides to this issue:

The Revolutionary War.

American side.

British side.

France's side.

Neutral nations' sides.

View of the war from winners'/losers' side.

400

When might appealing to a proper authority (someone who really is an expert on the issue) still be a faulty appeal to authority. 

You need to look at more than the opinion of a single expert for controversial issues.

400

My son ate my dumplings, got sick, and refused to ever eat them again.

What fallacy is this?

Post hoc ergo propter hoc.

400

Head-on!  Apply directly to the forehead!

What fallacy is this?

Repetition.
400

These brownies are delicious.  I can't wait to eat a bowl of cocoa.

Whole to part.

400

Name any 2 current cultural lies that are being told so often that many people are starting to believe they are true.

Men can become women and vice-versa.

America is a racist nation.

Pretty much any lie about Covid.

Masculinity is toxic.

Other answers are available.



400

A logically true statement that encompasses all possibilities is called this.

Example:  I am standing or I am not standing.

A tautology.

500

What does it mean when Mrs. Beddo advises you to not be a "radio" in a conversation?

"Radios" are people who don't listen.  They just transmit.  They are just waiting for someone to take a breath so they can talk again.  No one wants to talk to these people.

500

"Appeal to the People" is known by another name.  What is it?

Band Wagon.

500

This fallacy is claiming something is true simply because nobody has given any evidence to the contrary.

Proof by lack of evidence.

500

Appeal to Pity

500

Why is a Strawman used in an argument?

Because it's much easier to defeat a made-up, extremely exageraged version of your opponent's position than to refute his actual arguments which might be quite good.

500

Generally, the burden of proof falls on which person in the argument?

The one making the affirmative claim.

500

What's the difference between "regular old thinking" and "critical thinking."

Critical thinking evaluates regular old thinking.

(Considers multiple possible outcomes. Thinks ahead. Anticipates unintended consequences.)