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INSTRUCTIONS: Select the answer that best characterizes each argument.
1. Professor Harris gives a number of reasons why we should turn off our cell phones during class. It appears that Harris is
one of those Luddites who are opposed to technology altogether. No laptops, no iPads, no digital cameras—that’s what
Harris wants. But that’s just ridiculous. Thus, it’s clear that Harris is wrong.
a. No fallacy.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. False cause.
d. Straw man.
e. Red herring.
2. Dr. Niels Langer, the universally recognized climatologist, says that global warming is an extremely important problem
that must be addressed immediately. Therefore, we should take him at his word and get to work on solving this problem
right now.
a. No fallacy.
b. Appeal to the people.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Begging the question.
e. Appeal to force.
3. Standard & Poors, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, AIG, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America—all of these companies
continue to pay their top executives huge bonuses. It must be the case that every American company pays its top
executives huge bonuses.
a. No fallacy.
b. False cause.
c. Hasty generalization.
d. Composition.
e. Accident.
4. Radio host Rush Limbaugh argues that the Affordable Care Act is doomed to failure. But who is this screwball
Limbaugh? He’s nothing but a fascist, sexist, homophobic, drug-addicted moron, who will say anything to stir up the ultra
right. Every sane person should shut him off.
a. Begging the question.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. False cause
d. Hasty generalization.
e. No fallacy.
5. Dorothy has blue eyes and blond hair. Therefore, probably her identical twin sister Theodora has blue eyes and blond
hair.
a. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
b. Weak analogy.
c. Amphiboly.
d. False cause.
e. No fallacy.
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6. It’s never a good idea to allow your teenage kids to have a sip of champagne on New Year’s Eve. Next you know they’ll
be drinking beer during TV football games. Then it’ll be wine every night at dinner. Then Bloody Marys every morning.
Soon they’ll be raging alcoholics, and the costs for rehab will be enormous.
a. Complex question.
b. No fallacy.
c. Slippery slope.
d. False cause.
e. Missing the point.
7. Every component in this boat is made of rust-proof material. Therefore, the entire boat is rust-proof.
a. False dichotomy.
b. Weak analogy.
c. Composition.
d. No fallacy.
e. Suppressed evidence.
8. Congressman Baxter, I know you will want to support our application to clear-cut the old growth timber in the Great
Northern forest. After all, surely you don’t want the media to find out about that affair you’ve been having with a certain
Capitol Hill intern.
a. Division.
b. Appeal to the people.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to pity.
e. Appeal to force.
9. There is a lot of talk these days about the need for greater fuel economy in SUV’s. But today’s SUV’s are really
beautiful. The Cadillac Escalade has clean lines, supple leather, and polished hardwood. The Lincoln Navigator features
beautiful paint and the feel of strength and security. And the Mercury Mariner has wonderful styling and a great sound
system. Who could ask for anything more?
a. Begging the question.
b. Red herring.
c. Straw man.
d. Missing the point.
e. No fallacy.
10. Whatever you do, never accept a date from Ken Bradshaw. The last woman to date Ken broke up with him in just 3
weeks and became a lesbian.
a. False cause.
b. Weak analogy.
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. Hasty generalization.
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11. Professor Gibson said that he teaches only dead white philosophers. Therefore, it must be the case that all of his
students are dead.
a. Equivocation.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. You, too (tu quoque).
d. No fallacy.
e. Amphiboly.
12. Either you buy me a new Rolls Royce or I’ll have to walk to work in the snow. And I’m sure you don’t want me to do
that.
a. Straw man.
b. No fallacy.
c. False dichotomy.
d. Appeal to force.
e. Missing the point.
13. Tom Larsen could not have written this fine term paper. Tom is as stupid as the day is long, and he can’t put three
words together to form an intelligent sentence.
a. Argument against the person, abusive.
b. No fallacy.
c. Appeal to pity.
d. Accident.
e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
14. The war in Iraq was justified beyond any question. America was founded in the spirit of freedom and self-
determination, and it finds its destiny in liberating the victims of tyranny wherever they languish! America is a beacon of
hope for the oppressed, a refuge for the downtrodden, a shining star of freedom for the whole world! The hand of the
Almighty points the way! Every true patriot will heed the clarion call of freedom for all humankind!
a. No fallacy.
b. Missing the point.
c. Slippery slope.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. Appeal to pity.
15. William likes to eat. He also likes to make love. It follows that William likes to eat while he’s making love.
a. Red herring.
b. Amphiboly.
c. Division.
d. Composition.
e. No fallacy.
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16. The new Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan says that interracial marriage is a crime against nature. Therefore, that
interracial couple who just moved into the neighborhood must be a pair of criminals.
a. No fallacy.
b. Complex question.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Begging the question.
e. Suppressed evidence.
17. Either Thomas Edison or Samuel F. B. Morse invented the telegraph. But it wasn’t Edison. Therefore, Morse invented
the telegraph.
a. No fallacy.
b. Division.
c. False dichotomy.
d. Appeal to ignorance.
e. Appeal to the people.
18. Hugo lost an arm in a car accident last year. But surely he will get it back. Most things that are lost turn up sooner or
later.
a. No fallacy.
b. Equivocation.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Amphiboly.
e. Composition.
19. Judge, surely I’m not obligated to pay $250,000 in back taxes. If you were to decide against me, it would really put a
crimp in my finances. I wouldn’t be able to afford that new BMW, and my social status in our upscale neighborhood will
drop like a rock.
a. Appeal to pity.
b. Appeal to force.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. No fallacy.
e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
20. A hundred years ago people listened to recorded music on their gramophones. There are very few gramophones
around today. Therefore, probably people listen to less recorded music today than they did a hundred years ago.
a. Appeal to the people.
b. False cause.
c. Suppressed evidence.
d. Accident.
e. Hasty generalization.
21. Nobody has ever seen Mr. Albie walk without crutches. We conclude that Mr. Albie needs crutches to walk.
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a. Appeal to pity.
b. False cause.
c. Appeal to ignorance.
d. Begging the question.
e. No fallacy.
22. Floyd Conway has given us his reasons for unrestricted logging in our national forests. But it’s obvious why he says
these things. Floyd is a lumberjack, and he just wants to ensure that he’ll have a job in the years ahead.
a. Argument against the person, abusive.
b. False dichotomy.
c. Straw man.
d. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
e. No fallacy.
23. All political operatives are disingenuous characters and all clever manipulators are disingenuous characters. Thus, all
political operatives are clever manipulators.
a. This argument contains a fallacy of weak induction.
b. This argument contains no fallacy.
c. This argument contains a formal fallacy.
d. This argument contains a fallacy of ambiguity.
e. This argument contains a fallacy of relevance.
24. Nancy, I saw you in Smiley’s Bar last night. Level with me. Are you still getting drunk on a regular basis?
a. False cause.
b. Argument against the person, abusive.
c. Begging the question.
d. No fallacy.
e. Complex question.
25. During the five years that Clarence has worn a Rolex watch, three of his married friends have gotten a divorce. Thus,
to prevent any more divorces, it is essential that he stop wearing that watch.
a. False cause.
b. No fallacy.
c. Suppressed evidence.
d. Weak analogy.
e. Accident.
26. It’s dangerous to use a hair dryer while taking a bath. But a rechargeable shaver is an electrical device no less than a
hair dryer. Therefore, it’s dangerous to use a rechargeable shaver while taking a bath.
a. Appeal to force.
b. Begging the question.
c. No fallacy
d. Weak analogy.
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e. Missing the point.
27. Mark is a rotten salesman. But every salesman is a person. Therefore, Mark is a rotten person.
a. Argument against the person, abusive.
b. Equivocation.
c. Appeal to ignorance.
d. No fallacy.
e. Amphiboly.
28. Tom is a bit of a dunce when it comes to mathematics, and he hasn’t studied a bit for the next test. Therefore, he
probably won’t do very well on that test.
a. No fallacy.
b. Slippery slope.
c. False cause.
d. Appeal to unqualified authority.
e. Argument against the person, abusive.
29. Libertarians are insensitive to the plight of the poor. We know this is so because they want to abolish the minimum
wage. And we know they want to do this because they want to eliminate all restrictions on hiring the poor. And of course
this is true because Libertarians are insensitive to the plight of the poor.
a. No fallacy.
b. Composition.
c. Begging the question.
d. Appeal to pity.
e. Slippery slope.
30. The idea that fast food is unhealthy is a lot of hooey. Why, 90% of America eats fast food.
a. Accident.
b. Division.
c. Begging the question.
d. No fallacy.
e. Appeal to the people.
31. We know for certain that no armadillos are aardvarks. It is therefore equally certain that no aardvarks are armadillos.
a. Begging the question.
b. Weak analogy.
c. No fallacy.
d. Hasty generalization.
e. Equivocation.
32. Valerie Norton’s new novel is a real thriller. Therefore, every single chapter must be thrilling.
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a. No fallacy.
b. Division.
c. Hasty generalization.
d. Composition.
e. Appeal to unqualified authority.
33. The Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to bear arms. Therefore it should be legal
for those undercover Al Qaeda members to buy a carload of shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles.
a. Accident.
b. Appeal to unqualified authority.
c. No fallacy.
d. You, too (tu quoque).
e. Appeal to force.
34. In a random sample of 300 current year Honda Civic Hybrids, 100 had a defect in the fuel injection system. Therefore,
probably about a third of that entire production run has a defect in the fuel injection system.
a. False cause.
b. Missing the point.
c. Hasty generalization.
d. No fallacy.
e. Composition.
35. This brick made of 24 caret gold has been sliced into 50 pieces. Therefore, each of the pieces must be 24 caret gold.
a. Composition.
b. False cause.
c. Division.
d. Suppressed evidence.
e. No fallacy.
36. It’s absolutely clear that the U.S. should get out of the U.N. National autonomy should never be turned over to foreign
nations.
a. Begging the question.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. Red herring.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. No fallacy.
37. Movie star Marci Downs says in magazine ads that the new Porsche XKG is the sexiest car on the road. But you
shouldn’t take what she says too seriously because she’s paid thousands of dollars to make these ads.
a. False cause.
b. Accident.
c. Argument against the person, abusive.
d. No fallacy.
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e. Argument against the person, circumstantial.
38. Ed Jackson argues that the war in Iraq was a tragic mistake. But look who’s talking! Before his recent discharge,
Jackson was participating in the very war he now condemns. Obviously his arguments can’t be trusted.
a. Appeal to unqualified authority.
b. You, too (tu quoque).
c. No fallacy.
d. Appeal to the people.
e. Argument against the person, abusive.
39. Katie has been squabbling with her fiancé about the details of their wedding. Thus, it would be a good idea for her to
hire somebody to beat him up.
a. Division.
b. False cause.
c. Missing the point.
d. No fallacy.
e. Appeal to force.
40. Nobody has ever proved that capitalist economics corrupts people’s values, as Karl Marx claimed. Therefore, we must
conclude that capitalism does not corrupt people’s values.
a. Suppressed evidence.
b. Appeal to ignorance.
c. Appeal to unqualified authority.
d. Hasty generalization.
e. No fallacy.