Chapter 06 Relevance (Red Herring) Fallacies Answer Key
Short Answer Questions
1.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“People in Hegins, Pennsylvania, hold an annual pigeon shoot in order to control the
pigeon population and to raise money for the town. This year, the pigeon shoot was
disrupted by animal rights activists who tried to release the pigeons from their cages. I
can’t help but think these animal rights activists are the same people who believe in
controlling the human population through the use of abortion. Yet, they recoil at a similar
means of controlling pigeons. What rank hypocrisy.”
—Rush Limbaugh
Ad hominem.
2.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“The
San Jose Mercury News
made some explosive and unsubstantiated charges in
articles earlier this year suggesting the Central Intelligence Agency helped start the crack
epidemic in the United States. The CIA has often behaved scandalously over the years, but
no one, including the
Mercury News
, has produced credible evidence the CIA organized or
took part in drug dealing by the Contras or that the rebels flooded Los Angeles with drugs
to finance their war against the Sandinistas.”
—New York Times
This may look like a case of misplaced burden of proof fallacious reasoning: There has
been no evidence presented that the CIA did help start the crack epidemic, therefore it is
safe to conclude that it did not help start it. But there is no such fallacious reasoning going
on, because in fact the burden of proof lies on the Mercury News in the first place. The
affirmative side always gets the burden of proof in cases like this.
3.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“You can’t say that he is uneducated. At what point does someone become educated?”
Line-drawing fallacy.
4.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“It really gripes me to see Bill Clinton talking about how cigarette smoking is a big
contributor to public health costs. You want to know how much you can trust him on that
subject? Well, even he himself admits to smoking cigars!”
Ad hominem (inconsistency).
5.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“The administration’s proposal to declare hundreds of thousands of acres of federal land
as ‘roadless areas’ is a huge mistake, and I’m against it. The whole point of the proposal—
and it will succeed if the President gets his way—is to lock the American people out of
those areas.”
Straw man.
6.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“I don’t believe we ought to believe the so–called ‘admissions’ of the Liggett and Myers
Company. I think the only reason they’re now agreeing with tobacco critics about the
addictive powers of nicotine and the nicotine-level manipulation by the company is to get
themselves off the hook and avoid bigger trouble, even if it means getting the other
tobacco companies
into
bigger trouble.”
Ad hominem (circumstantial).
7.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“Of course the Task Force on Crime is going to conclude that crime is on the way up. If
they conclude it’s on the way down, they’d have to disband the task force, wouldn’t they?”
Ad hominem (circumstantial). Although, since it’s an entity, genetic fallacy works.
8.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“The police asked the neighbors on both sides of the Owens’s home whether they’d ever
seen either of them do any drugs. They all agreed they hadn’t, so it’s a pretty safe bet they
aren’t really drug users.”
Misplaced burden of proof.
9.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
When several people in Harvey’s department get new computers, he is annoyed because
he is not among them. “I’ll tell you what,” Harvey says to his wife, “if they want to rip me
off by not getting a new computer for me, I’ll just rip them off for extra office supplies.
They’ve got a lot of stuff at work we could use around here, and they’ll have no way of
knowing that it’s gone. Turnabout’s fair play.”
Two wrongs make a right.
10.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“Look, the governor’s office is supposed to list chemicals that are suspected to be
poisonous, but let’s not put them on the list officially until we know for sure that they’re
harmful. Otherwise, we just cause a lot of unnecessary trouble for the people who make
and use the chemicals.”
Misplaced burden of proof (special circumstances—high stakes).
11.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Disgruntled faculty member to a colleague: “It is clear to me what I’m up against with that
class. Their idea of a successful course is one in which they get a passing grade by putting
in the absolutely minimal amount of time and effort. If they can get the grade without
learning anything, so much the better.”
Straw man.
6-7
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12.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“Richard Nixon once said, ‘Tip O’Neill’s the most ruthless speaker in history.’ Being called
‘ruthless’ by Nixon is like Ross Perot criticizing your haircut.”
—Sandy Grady, Knight-Ridder Newspapers
Ad hominem (inconsistency), accomplished by a pretty ruthless persuasive comparison!
13.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“When [Nidal] Ayyad [convicted of conspiring to blow up the World Trade Center in 1993]
complained that ‘human rights advocates’ had not monitored his treatment during months
of detention, [U.S. District Judge Kevin T.] Duffy interjected: ‘Did human rights
organizations monitor the people whom you killed?’”
—Robert L. Jackson, in the
Los Angeles Times
Duffy commits an ad hominem.
14.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
You saw what the former governor of Illinois did: He declared a moratorium on executions
in the state. It was a good thing, too, because it turns out that a large number of the
inmates on death row had to be turned loose because DNA evidence proved them
innocent beyond a shadow of a doubt. It’s about time we got serious about the fact that
we’ve been convicting innocent people and sentencing them to death.
No fallacy.
15.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
No, I do NOT believe that a murderer ought to be allowed to live. No way! Murderers have
forfeited the right to live because anyone who murders another person has lost that right.
Begging the question.
16.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
No, I do NOT believe that a murderer has a right to live, and here’s why: The criminal
justice system in this country has gotten completely out of control, what with rapists,
murderers, you name it—all getting off scot-free. It’s got to change!
Irrelevant conclusion.
17.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
No, I don’t believe we ought to reinstate the death penalty in this state. Doing it isn’t going
to prevent all crime, and you know it.
Perfectionist fallacy.
18.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
You show me when a fetus wasn’t a person, just show me! Tell me exactly when it is.
When the baby is born? Well, why not just a day before that? Or the day before that? Or
the day before that? Where you gonna draw the line? You gotta say life begins with
conception.
Line-drawing fallacy.
19.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
You show me when an embryo becomes a human person, just show me! Tell me exactly
when it is. When it’s just an egg, the size of a pin head? When it divides once? Twice?
Three times? When? Where you gonna draw the line? An embryo is not a person, and
that’s that.
Line-drawing fallacy.
20.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
All this talk about secondhand smoke causing cancer, I just don’t get it. How does it
happen? WHEN does it happen? The first time you take a breath in a smoky room? The
second time? The third? You can never pin it down exactly.
Line–drawing fallacy (assuming the conclusion is that indirect smoking doesn’t cause
cancer).
21.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Those four officers who killed the innocent man in New York by mistake should be found
not guilty of any crime. None of them had ever been in any kind of trouble before, and,
tragically, this kind of thing is just going to happen when we have aggressive police work.
Irrelevant conclusion; in fact, two irrelevant conclusions.
22.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Gays in the military? Either let ’em in, or keep out all minorities; take your choice. I’m for
letting them in. The alternative is ridiculous.
False dilemma.
23.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Gays in the military? No way. Clinton promoted the idea just to get the homosexual vote.
Irrelevant conclusion.
24.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Gays in the military? Yes. Maybe you favor excluding everyone except for white Anglo-
Saxon males with adolescent personalities, but not me.
Straw man.
25.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
From a prosecutor’s closing statement at a trial: “In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, there can be absolutely no doubt that this defendant committed these terrible
murders. Look at the mother of the victim, sitting over there, and the father—their lives are
forever destroyed by this evil deed. Never again will they know the peace and happiness
that was their due. Put yourselves in their shoes, and you will know whether or not this
man is guilty.”
Irrelevant conclusion.
26.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“The second group that has latched on to the environmentalist movement… wants to
preserve the earth at all costs, even if it means that much of the Third World will be
forever condemned to poverty. Rather than elevate the Third World, they want to move us
closer to Third World conditions. That’s somehow cleaner, purer. It’s the way things were
before Western white people came along and terrorized the earth by inventing things. They
want to roll us back, maybe not to the Stone Age, but at least to the horse-and-buggy era.”
—Rush Limbaugh
Straw man/ad hominem (depending on what you focus on).
27.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Was the president guilty of sexual harassment as the Republicans said? Hey, give me a
break! What’s important is jobs, health care, and welfare reform.
Irrelevant conclusion.
28.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Who cares if the president was guilty of sexual harassment? He got some progress made
in terms of jobs, health care, and welfare reform. Those are the important issues!
This hardly convinces that one ought not care about the sexual harassment issue, of
course, but it isn’t fallacious.
29.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Of course that can’t be a legitimate proposal. They’re just trying to get the city council to
pass a regulation that will stir up some business for them.
Ad hominem (circumstantial, presumably).
30.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Letter to the editor: “In rejoinder to your July 21 editorial, I certainly don’t see how you can
criticize the striking Springfield Unified School District teachers who carried their own
signs. Let us not forget that you endorsed and supported city council members Holt and
Donazetti, who not only paraded up and down Main Street with their own placards, but
also got young children out of school to parade with them.”
—North State Record
Ad hominem (inconsistency).
31.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
The next speaker is going to speak in favor of the idea. But she works for the gun lobby.
Don’t even bother listening to what she says.
Poisoning the well.
32.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Preferential treatment in hiring is something we must support; after all, can you think of a
reason why we shouldn’t?
Misplaced burden of proof.
33.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
No, I don’t believe that Uncle Bob is really gone forever. He was like a father to me, and I
believe that someday, somehow or other, we’ll see one another again; I don’t think I could
go on if I didn’t believe that.
Wishful thinking.
34.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
You know very well I don’t care what Mason says about investments or, for that matter,
anything else. That guy is the most money-grubbing creep I’ve ever run into; all he ever
cares about is where his next dollar is coming from. He can take his opinions and stick ‘em
in his ear.
Ad hominem (personal attack).
35.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Listen, friends, it’s
our
money the board of supervisors wants to spend putting sewers and
other improvements out there in that Antelope Creek development. And you know who’s
going to profit from it the most? The developers, who don’t even live around here. I tell
you, we have sat back and done nothing long enough! It’s high time we told these out-of–
town interlopers or antelopers or whatever they are to go mess with somebody else’s
town. I won’t stand for it any more!
Argument from outrage. (There is a relevant appeal here, but the speaker is clearly trying
to evoke outrage from his audience as well.)
36.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
“It’s obvious that God created the universe. Can you prove that he didn’t?”
Misplacing the burden of proof.
37.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
I know it was not very nice to overcharge them like that for the room, but all’s fair in love,
war, and business, my dear. Besides, if the situation were reversed and
we
were
desperate for lodging, they would have bled us for all we’re worth.
Two wrongs make a right.
38.
Identify any fallacies in the following two passages. Why are they different?
Letter to the editor: “Your food section frequently features recipes with veal, and you say
veal is a wholesome, nutritious dish. I disagree. Do you know how veal comes to be on
your plate? At birth a newborn calf is separated from its mother, placed in a dark
enclosure, and chained by its neck so that it cannot move freely. This limits muscular
development so that the animal is tender. It is kept in the dark pen until the day it is
cruelly slaughtered.”
—Cascade News
Argument from pity.
39.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
Overheard: “When it comes to the issue of growth in this town, you’re either part of the
solution, or you’re part of the problem.“
False dilemma.
40.
Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or, where they seem
not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text, by giving a brief explanation of
why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue.
This business of American car manufacturers having joint ventures with foreign car
makers really stinks. Think of the consequences of not being able to buy American-made
cars. No jobs for American car workers, no big cars, no ready supply of parts, no
consumption of American steel. I think we should prohibit joint ventures.
Straw man.