Fallacies

Question 1

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

The belief in God is universal. After all, everyone believes in God.

Answer 1

Begging the Question

Question 2

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

There are no universal human rights. Different societies have different ideas about social organization and different histories. China’s history and its people’s beliefs are distinctly different from those held by western individuals.

Answer 2

Subjectivist fallacy

Question 3

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

No matter how excellent my essays are, Professor D never gives them anything better than a C, so he is an unfair grader.

Answer 3

Begging the Question

Question 4

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Condoleeza Rice asserted that the USA had to invade Iraq to avoid a catastrophe, because a nuclear attack from Iraq would be unimaginably bad for the USA.

Answer 4

Begging the Question

Question 5

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Wine critics are ridiculous in their pseudo-precision. They can’t really expect us to believe that a wine they rate 75/100 is better than a wine rated 74/100, or that there is a difference between a wine they rate 89/100 or 90/100. And yet, people flock to buy the wine rated 90/100. Fools! There is no difference between cheap wine and the hundred-dollar bottles touted by the wine “experts”.

Answer 5

Drawing the line

Question 6

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

There is a great deal of debate as to the morality and legality of abortion. Some people are pro-choice, some pro-life. Thus it is wrong to think that there is some fact about abortion’s moral and legal status that goes beyond personal ideas about right and wrong.

Answer 6

Subjectivist fallacy

Question 7

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Headline (from the Onion): “Local Tea Party member confident his interpretation of US constitution is correct, and concludes he is not required by the constitution to pay federal taxes.”

Answer 7

Subjectivist fallacy

Question 8

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

“At what point did the officers use excessive force? Was it after the first hit, the second, the third?” He then went on to tell the jury that if they couldn’t define exactly when it became excessive then they couldn’t accurately define what excessive force meant and the officer was not guilty. The other attorney, recognizing the fallacy, approached the jury and took a book and slammed it against the table the exact number of times that King was hit. I think it was 23 times. He then said, “I don’t care exactly when their actions became excessive. It was somewhere between the first hit and the 23rd.” And that’s the correct answer here too.

Answer 8

Drawing the line

Question 9

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Abortion is legal, after all it is permissible under the law in Canada. Actually, the law says nothing about abortion.

Answer 9

Begging the question

Question 10

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Some people believe that capital punishment is wrong, but others disagree. We ought to decide the issue with a vote.

Answer 10

Subjectivist fallacy

Question 11

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Triangles have three sides. Therefore, triangles have three sides.

Answer 11

Begging the question

Question 12

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern, it is a code and an information storage mechanism. All codes are created by a conscious mind; there is no natural process known to science that creates coded information. Therefore, DNA was designed by a mind.

Answer 12

Begging the question

Question 13

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Fred can never be called bald. Fred isn’t bald now, however if he loses one hair, that won’t make him go from not balk to bald either. If he loses one more hair after that, then this one loss also does not make him go from not bald to bald. Therefore, no matter how much hair he loses, he can never be called bald.

Answer 13

Drawing the line

Question 14

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

If you place one grain of sand on the table, it’s not a heap of sand. If you add one more, it’s still not a heap. Adding one more grain does not make a heap. Therefore, there are no heaps, because one can always simply add one grain, or take one grain away, without heap-making or -unmaking.

Answer 14

Drawing the line

Question 15

Does the following argument exhibit the fallacy of begging the question, the subjectivist fallacy, or the fallacy of drawing the line?

Some people believe that capital punishment is wrong, but others disagree. We ought to decide the issue with a vote.

Answer 15

Subjectivist fallacy

Question 16

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

Everyone is selfish; everyone is doing what they believe will make them happier. If you recognize this, it will take most of the sting out of accusations that you are being selfish. You shouldn’t feel guilty for seeking your own happiness when that’s what everyone else is doing too.

Answer 16

Appeal to common belief

Question 17

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

You’d better cut taxes for the rich. If you don’t do it, then they’re going to get angry and show up at political rallies frothing at the mouth.

Answer 17

Appeal to emotion

Question 18

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

The decision to place a mosque on the site of the 9/11 World Trade Centre destruction is reprehensible to so many Americans that the plan needs to be changed. No mosque!

Answer 18

Appeal to common belief

Question 19

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

Some biblical scholars claim that the value of Pi can be determined to be equal to 3 based on certain passages in the Old Testament. It’s good to know that we can finally settle that old mathematical puzzle.

Answer 19

Bad (fallacious) appeal to authority

Question 20

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

Pinky the cat and Kelso the black lab went on a long and dangerous journey home after they jumped out of the car when we were in Elora. We were so glad to have them back!

Answer 20

No fallacy, as there is no argument.

Question 21

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

My English professor says that the scientific view that all human behaviour is determined by our genes is obviously false as we clearly learn things and have our thoughts and actions shaped by our cultural history. Thus, biologists have to do some work to bring their ideas about behaviour in line with other sources (e.g. sociology, anthropology).

Answer 21

Bad (fallacious) appeal to authority

Question 22

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

It is known that Obama was not born in the United States. His supposed birth certificate is clearly a forgery. We are not certain, however, whether he was born in Libya or Iran.

Answer 22

Proof substitute

Question 23

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

You and I both know that black holes are not detectable. Dave’s decision to become a black hole hunter is therefore, shall we say, ludicrous.

Answer 23

Proof substitute

Question 24

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

The director of the Perimeter Institute for theoretical physics believes that there will be many new jobs in quantum gravity research. That’s a big reason why I’ve decided to do my PhD in theoretical physics. I want one of those jobs!

Answer 24

No fallacy

Question 25

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

A: “All rodents are mammals, but a weasel isn’t a rodent, so it can’t be a mammal.”

B: “Well you’re a rodent and a weasel, so there goes your argument!”

Answer 25

Mistaking the person for the claim/argument

Question 26

Which fallacy is exhibited by this argument?

Martin Heidegger’s philosophy should be outlawed, and his claim that “Being is Becoming” ignored. Heidegger was a card-carrying member of the Nazi party, and his views are thus completely tainted.

Answer 26

Mistaking the person (or group) for the claim/argument