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"opponent" a logical fallacy that he/she has just made, it generally gives you the
upper hand. But then, merely having the upper hand is not the goal: truth is.
Nevertheless, logical fallacies hide the truth; so pointing them out is very useful.
1.
2.
Appeal to Force - Telling the hearer that something bad will happen to him
if he does not accept the argument.
Example: If you don't want to get beaten up, you will agree with what I say.
Example: Convert or die.
3.
Appeal to Pity - Urging the hearer to accept the argument based upon an
appeal to emotions, sympathy, etc.
Example: You owe me big time because I really stuck my neck out for you.
Example: Oh come on, I've been sick. That's why I missed the deadline.
4.
5.
6.
Begging the Question - Assuming the thing to be true that you are trying
to prove. It is circular.
1.
Example: God exists because the Bible says so. The Bible is
inspired. Therefore, we know that God exists.
Example: I am a good worker because Frank says so. How can we trust Frank?
Simple: I will vouch for him.
7.
Cause and Effect - assuming that the effect is related to a cause because
the events occur together.
Example: When the rooster crows, the sun rises. Therefore, the rooster causes
the sun to rise.
Example: When the fuel light goes on in my car, I soon run out of gas.
Therefore, the fuel light causes my car to run out of gas.
8.
9.
Fallacy of Composition - Assuming that what is true of the part is true for
the whole.
Example: That engine is blue. Therefore, the car is blue.
Example: You are weird. That means that your family is weird, too.
10.
Fallacy of Division - Assuming that what is true of the whole is true for the
parts.
Example: That car is blue. Therefore, its engine is blue.
Example: Your family is weird. That means that you are weird, too.
11.
12.
False Dilemma - Giving two choices when in actuality there could be more
choices possible.
Example: You either did knock the glass over or you did not. Which is it?
(Someone else could have knocked the glass over).
1.
13.
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17.
Example: I know your car isn't working right. But, if you had gone to the store
one day earlier, you'd not be having problems.
Example: I know I forgot to deposit the check into the bank yesterday. But,
nothing I do pleases you.
18.
19.
1.
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20.
1.OldmanBrownclaimsthathesawaflyingsaucerinhisfarm,buthenevergotbeyond
thefourthgradeinschoolandcanhardlyreadorwrite.Heiscompletelyignorantofwhat
scientistshavewrittenonthesubject,sohisreportcannotpossiblybetrue.AD
HOMINEM
family. You surely cannot find it in your hearts to reach any other
verdict than "not guilty." admisericordiam.
3.Yououghttotrytostudyharderinschoolthisyear,Samuel,becauseitwillspareyour
parentstheembarrassmentofaletterfromtheinstructortellingthemyou'renottaking
yourschoolworkseriously..
4.YouwillbackupmystoryandtellthecommitteeIamreasoninglogically;becauseif
youdon'tIwilldoeverythinginmypowertoseethatyouarefired.
5.IbelieveintheBiblebecauseitisthewrittenwordofGodthroughhisprophets.
Obviously,Godwouldnotlietohisprophets.Afterall,theBiblesaysso.
6.Congressshouldn'tbothertoconsultmajoruniversitiesabouteducational
appropriations.Asmembersofeducationalestablishment,theywillnaturallywantas
muchmoneyforeducationastheythinktheycanget.
7.Inrecentstudiesresearchershaveshowthatwomenhavemoreaccurateintuitionthan
mendo.Thereasoncitedisthatmen'sintuitionismoreoftenmistaken.
8.Icanseethatyouareinthemarketforanewcar.We'rehavingasaleonPintosthis
month.Doyouwanttopaycashordoyouwanttheinstallmentplan?
9.Johnhasreallyworkedhardonhistermproject,andhewillreallybedepressedifhe
doesnotmakeanA.Forthesereasons,youjusthavetogivehimanAonhisproject.
10.Whatisrightiswhatismorallyobligatory.Whatismorallyobligatoryiswhatyou
shoulddo.Ofcourse,youshoulddosomethingbecauseitistherightthingtodo.
11.IcanseethattheefficiencywithwhichtheTornadoHomeVacuumSystemworks
andthemarvelouswayinwhichitsavesontoilanddrudgeryinthehomeimpressesyou.
Therefore,shallIchargeittoyouraccountordoyouwanttopaycash?
12.Ifwewishtodeterminewhichofaperson'smotivesdeterminehisactions,weneed
onlyexaminewhichofthealternativecoursesofactionhechoosestoperform.Therefore,
aperson'smotivesaredeterminedbytheactionshechoosestoperform.
13.Aprosecutorstatestothejury:"Youcannotletthismangofreebecauseoursociety
isnotsafewithhimatlarge.Whoknowswhohisnextvictimwillbe?"
14.ItshouldbenosurprisetoyouthatifaDemocratiselectedinthenextpresidential
electionthatwewillhaveoneoftheworstrecessionsinyears.Recessionsalwaysseem
tobecreatedbyDemocraticadministrations.
15.AsIwalkedtothelibraryfromtheLearningCenternotonepersonspoketome.
LanderUniversityisnotasfriendlyasIwasledtobelieve.
16.Howcanwesaveourcountryfromthebureaucraticdictatorship,thecorruption,and
thecreepingsocialismofthepresentadministration?OnlyonewayvoteIndependent.
17.Idon'tcarewhatyourargumentsare;youareusingMickeyMousetactics.The
argumentsyougivearesimplytacky.
18.Officer,pleaseexcusemygoingoverthespeedlimit,butmymotherisillandI'm
beingauditedbytheIRS,andIdon'tknowhowIcanmeetallmybills.
19.Whyhaven'tyoubeenstudying,asyoushould?Youwouldfeelalotbetterifyou
wouldtakeyouschoolworkmoreseriously.
20.Thosewhosaythatextrasensoryperceptionisnotreliablearemistaken.Thepolice,
Hollywoodstars,andpoliticianshaveallreliedonit.
21.ButDoctor,surelyyouradvicethatIshouldnotdrinkcoffeeisnotsoundadvicesince
youyourselfoftendrinkcoffee.
22.ThelateElyCulbertson,oneoftheworld'soutstandingbridgeplayers,oncedeclared
thattheUnitedNationsaspresentlyconstitutedhasseriousdefects.Hemustberight
becauseIdon'tthinktheopinionofamanofhiscalibershouldbetakenlightly.
23.TheGeneralAssemblyoftheUnitedNationskeepsvotingforradicalissues.
Therefore,theU.S.willbeforcedtoreduceitsfinancialcontributiontotheU.N.unless
thereisademonstratedchangesoon.
24.DuringtheGulfwarmanyAmericansmadeimmenseprofits.Thatisanindisputable
fact.Therefore,therecanbenodoubtthatAmericanbusinessinterestsinstigatedthewar.
25.Nomathematicianhaseverbeenabletodemonstratethetruthofthevariantsofthe
Goldbergconjecture,sotheycannotallbetrue..
26.Everyonesaysthatalogiccourseiseasierthanamathcourse,soitmustbe.
27.UnlessyoubackupmystoryandtellthecommitteeIamreasoninglogically,I'lldo
everythinginmypowertoseethatyouarefired.
28.Thebeststudentsmakethebestgrades.Therefore,gettinghighgradeswill
undoubtedlycauseyoutobeabetterstudent.
29.Everyonebelievesthatmenwritethebestnovels;therefore,thereislittledoubtthat
theydoso.
30.SincetheBiblesays,"Thoushallnotkill,"itwouldbewrongtoexterminatethe
termitesinCityHall.
31.ButMomIdon'tseewhyIhavetowearsocks;Einsteinneverdidwearsocks.
32.Ionceknewaphilosophystudentwhowentcrazyandanotheronewhowasnotthat
wellbalanced.Youcanseewhatthestudyofphilosophydidtothem.
33.AgreatmanychargesofgraftandcorruptionhavebeenbroughtagainstSenator
Andersonoverthepastseveralyears,andhehashadnumerousopportunitiestorefute
them,buthehasneverdoneso.Therefore,Ithink,theevidenceindicatesheisnottobe
trusted.
34.ThepresentU.S.administrationhasnotyetdevelopedanenergypolicy.Nonetheless,
almosteveryotherdevelopednationintheworldhasanenergypolicy,exceptus.
Therefore,theUnitedStatesshouldhaveaunifiedenergypolicy.
35.Thewelfareprogramistotallyunnecessary.Why,Iknowaguywhorunsavery
lucrativeillegalgamblingoperationanddriveshisnewCadillacdowneveryweekto
collecthiswelfarecheck.
36.Itwashisfault,Officer.YoucantellbythekindofcarI'mdrivingandbymyclothes
thatIamagoodcitizenandwouldnotlie.Lookattherattletrapheisdriving,andlookat
howheisdressed.Youcan'tbelieveanythingthatadirty,longhairedhippielikethat
mighttellyou.Searchhiscar;heprobablyhaspotinit.
37.GeneralJedM.Lamgetterbelievesthatitisabsolutelyessentialtoourfuturesecurity
thatweimmediatelyupgradingourcomputingsystemstoLinuxfromMicrosoftNT.But
hisargumentsarehardlydeservingofcarefulconsideration,forinacoupleofweeks
GeneralLamgetterwillretirefromtheArmyandbecomeCEOandbegivenlargestock
optionsinRedHat,oneofthemainlinuxproducers.
38.Therealreasonyoufavorthedraftisthatyou'retoooldtobedrafted.
39.RichardNixon:"Mr.SparkmanandMr.StevensonshouldcomebeforetheAmerican
people,asIhaveandmakeacompletefinancialstatementastotheirfinancialhistory,
andiftheydon't,itwillbeanadmissionthattheyhavesomethingtohide.
40.StanfordproducesthebestgraduatesintheUnitedStates.Therefore,anyeveryPh.D.
fromStanfordisbetterthananyotherPh.D.inthecountry.
41.Waterextinguishesfire.Oxygenispartofwater.Therefore,oxygenwillextinguish
fire.
42.Prieststakeavowofpoverty.TheChurchisacorporatebodycomposedofpriests.
Therefore,theChurchshouldnotownproperty.
43.Sincetheaveragelifespanofanindividualindevelopingcountriesisthirtyyears,the
leadersinthosecountriesgrowoldbeforetheyhavetimetolearntherudimentsofgood
government.
44.AstheconveneroftheninthannualWomen'sFreedomMovement,letmeremindyou
onceagainthatwomenhavebeendiscriminatedagainstforcenturies,andtheyhave
sufferedassecondratepeopleforcenturies.I,forone,refusetosubmittothis
discriminationandsecondratetreatmentanylonger.
45.Ioughtalwaystodowhatisright.IhavearighttosaywhatIthink.Therefore,I
oughtalwaystosaywhatIthink.
46.Asaresultofapollof28adultsinterviewedonMainStreetinGreenwood,S.C.on
Fridaynight,wecanconcludethatallpeopleinGreenwoodprefergoingdowntownto
watchingTV.
47.Accordingtothelaw,amanisinnocentuntilprovedguilty.SoMr.Ratskellermust
beinnocentofthechargeofbribery,sincehehasnotyetbeenprovedguilty.Therefore,
sinceMr.Ratskellerisinnocent,itwouldbewrongtoconvicthim.
48.Althoughyouhavesaidyouwillgivemenomoreofyourtime,I'llnotaskfor
anymoreofyourtime;I'lljustaskfortheamountoftimeyouhavealreadygivenonce
more.
49.Adescriptionofacandidatewhoiswoefullyinept:"Imostenthusiastically
recommendthiscandidatewithnoqualificationswhatsoever."
50.Nothingwouldbebetterthanahighscoreonthistest,butapoorgradewouldbe
betterthannothing,soconcludethatabadgradewouldbebetterthanahighscore.