Select the fallacy-type which best describes the reasoning contained in each of the

passages below.

1. Men are better drivers than women are. The proof of this is that men are more
capable than women of managing cars on the road.

Begging the question.

Ad hominem (Attacking the Person).
False Dilemma.
Appeal to Pity.

2. Tan ah Tiat, forty-nine years old, a native of Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, was
charged with possession of opium. Arguing for acquittal, he told the judge that
his opium habit did no harm, as he was too old to work anyway. Asked how he
lived, he replied that he lived on the earnings of his grandmother.

Straw Man.
False Dilemma.
Inconsistency.
Appeal to Authority.

3. Any application is invalid if the fee hasn't been paid. Your application is
invalid, so your fee must not have been paid.

Equivocation.
False Dilemma.
Denying the Antecedent.
Affirming the Consequent.

4. All things that are spoiled are inedible. Timothy is spoiled. So, Timothy is
inedible.

Equivocation.
Attacking the Person (ad hominem).
Fallacy of Division.
Questionable Cause.
5. It's silly to pass laws against discrimination, since it is obvious that we can't
live without it. We discriminate between pleasant and unpleasant tastes in
selecting our food, between pleasant and unpleasant sounds in selecting our
music, between harmonious and unharmonious colors in decorating our homes,
between interesting and uninteresting people in choosing our friends, and so on.
We can't live without discriminating.

Prejudicial Language
Equivocation.
Inconsistency.
Straw Man.

6. John Stuart Mill: Each person's happiness is a good to that person, and the
general happiness, therefore, a good to the aggregate of all persons.

Fallacy of Composition.
Fallacy of Division.
Gambler's Fallacy.
Equivocation.

7. At the end of the course, Professor Jones told us that we were the best class he
had ever had. That's why I'm sure that the 0.0 the appeared on my grade report
is a mistake. Surely, if we were as good a class as Professor Jones said we were,
none of us deserved to fail.

Fallacy of Composition.
Fallacy of Division.
Questionable Cause.
Appeal to Gallery (Provicialism).

8. The Dean was showing a visitor around the campus. The visitor asked, "About
how many students do you have here?" After a moment of reflection the Dean
replied, "Oh, I'd guess about one in a hundred."

Equivocation.
Fallacy of Division.
 Appeal to Authority.
Denying the Antecedent.

9. Moses Maimonides, "The Guide of the Perplexed": God, may He be exalted ...
existed alone, and nothing else. ...Afterwards, through His will and His volition,
He brought into existence out of nothing all the beings as they are, time itself
being one of the created things. For time is consequent upon motion, and motion
is an accident of what is moved. Furthermore, what is moved...is itself created in
time ....

Equivocation.
Appeal to Authority.
Inconsisteny.
Slippery Slope.

10. We must assume that he is a Communist, because he says that he is not, and
we know that Communists are taught always to deny party membership.

Argument from Ignorance.

Affirming the Consequent.
Denying the Antecedent.
Begging the Question.

END OF QUIZ
Clear Answ ers

Select the correct answer to the following multiple-choice questions by circling the appropriate letter.

Identify the fallacy of relevance committed by the following arguments.

1 The Senator claims that congressional salaries should be raised. He says business executives doing comparable work
make much more and that congressional salaries haven't kept pace with inflation. But keep in mind what he does for
a living. His self-serving recommendation must be rejected.

Begging the Question.

A)
 Equivocation.
B)

Straw Man.
C)

Attacking the Motive

D)

2 How can you tell me I should exercise to lose weight? All you do is sit behind a desk all day. I've never seen you do a
lick of exercise.

Look Who's Talking (Tu Quoque)

A)

Two Wrongs Make a Right

B)

Appeal to Pity
C)

Bandwagon Argument
D)

3 I know the Professor said that the Bridges of Madison County was smarmy trash and lacked any artistic worth. But I
still think he's wrong. After all, it was on the best-seller list for over 100 weeks.

Appeal to Force
A)

Red Herring
B)

Bandwagon Argument
C)

Begging the Question

D)

4 Mr. Equalminded's idea for implementing affirmative action in the university's admission process is complete folly. He
say's he wants the student body to represent diversity in the community. But that's ridiculous. I suppose this means
we'll have to throw out our academic standards while were at it. After all, if we're going to let students into our
prestigious institution just because of their gender or the color of their skin, then what's going to happen to our
reputation?

Appeal to Pity
A)

Bandwagon Argument
B)

Red Herring
C)

Straw Man
D)

5 Look Tom, you could go to the police with your information about our questionable accounting practices here at
Bentron. But remember, you have a family to feed. Besides, you know how rumors of this kind of disloyalty can
spread through the industry. You'll never work as an accountant in this town again.

Appeal to Pity
A)

Appeal to Force
B)
 Bandwagon Argument
C)

Straw Man
D)

6 Capital punishment for repeatedly convicted drug dealers is absolutely justifiable because people who are found guilty
of selling drugs again and again should be given the death penalty.

Red Herring
A)

Appeal to Pity
B)

Begging the Question

C)

Two Wrongs Make a Right

D)

7 Whatever happens by chance should be punished, because whatever happens by chance is a departure from law and
all departures from law should be punished.

Equivocation
A)

Attacking the Motive

B)

Two Wrongs Make a Right

C)

Straw Man
D)

8 Hey, I don't see what's wrong with taking a pad of paper or a few computer disks home from the office. I mean,
they'll never be missed by anyone. Besides, this company has been underpaying me for years.

Look Who's Talking

A)

Attacking the Motive

B)

Two Wrongs Make a Right

C)

Bandwagon Argument
D)

9 Mr. A. Theist has argued that a moment of silence in public schools would violate the separation of church and state.
But have you ever met that jerk. His attacks on religion obviously stem from the fact that he's a narrow minded bigot
who never had the inclination to pray for the benefit of anyone else. In fact, just the fact that Mr. Theist opposes the
proposal is enough for me to accept it.

Look Who's Talking

A)

Personal Attack (Ad Hominem)

B)

Appeal to Pity
C)
Equivocation
 D)

10 It's ridiculous to talk about more restrictions on handguns. Even if we could pass such a law, there would always be
criminals who are willing to break the law.

Bandwagon
A)

Straw Man
B)

Appeal to Force
C)

Red Herring
D)

From the
list below,
select the
name of
the
rhetorical
device
that
attacks
the
arguer
instead of
the
argument.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
2
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that unfairly
places the onus of providing evidence for a position on the wrong side of an
issue.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)
 Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
3
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that ignores an
opponent's actual position and instead presents and attacks a distorted,
oversimplified, or misrepresented version of that position.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
4
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that limits
consideration to only two alternatives when there are, in fact, more than
two.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
5
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that claims we
must continue a certain course of action since we have already begun that
course.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)
Burden of proof
 E)

Straw man
F)
6
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that tempts us
to believe there is a necessary connection between one thing happening
and some other thing happening when, in fact, there is no such necessary
connection.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
7
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that asks us to
accept premises that are as controversial as the conclusion being argued
for and which are controversial on the same grounds.

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)

Straw man
F)
8
Poisoning the well and argument from inconsistency are versions of which
of the following types of rhetorical devices?

Slippery slope
A)

Begging the question

B)

False dilemma
C)

Ad hominem
D)

Burden of proof
E)
 Straw man
F)

Choose the fallacy at work in these examples.

9
Either join in political life or resign yourself to a lonely and meaningless existence.

False dilemma
A)

Circumstantial ad hominem
B)

Appeal to ignorance
C)

Poisoning the well

D)

Genetic fallacy
E)
10
You have to discount Mr. McGill's views on abortion. As a member of the Pre-Natal
Liberation Organization, he can't help being prejudiced.

Appeal to ignorance
A)

Burden of proof
B)

Circumstantial ad hominem
C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
11
You should bathe three times a day in a tub of whole milk to keep your skin
looking young. No one has ever proved that it doesn't work.

Genetic fallacy
A)

Slippery slope
B)

Appeal to ignorance
C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
12
Defense lawyer Robert Baker at O. J. Simpson's civil trial: This isn't a fight for
justice, it's a fight for money.

False dilemma
A)
 Slippery slope
B)

Begging the question

C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
13
Letter to the editor: Now the Dallas Police have dismissed the rape charges
against Michael Irvin and Erik Williams. Excuse me if I'm suspicious of the Dallas
Police Department. I'm old enough to remember Lee Harvey Oswald being shot to
death with the Dallas Police escorting him.

Poisoning the well

A)

Genetic fallacy
B)

Burden of proof
C)

Perfectionist fallacy
D)

Line-drawing fallacy
E)
14
Before you go getting all excited about the ancient Greek ideal of leisure and
learning, remember that it was built on the backs of slaves. How do you think they
liked the sight of all those philosophers? Not much.

Poisoning the well

A)

Genetic fallacy
B)

Slippery slope
C)

Begging the question

D)

Straw man
E)
15
Once your kids are watching cartoons, they're also watching those toy
commercials. If they see the commercials they'll want the toys; before you know
it, they're obsessed with the toys and you've lost all control over them. So don't
let children watch cartoons.

Genetic fallacy
A)

Slippery slope
B)

Burden of proof
C)
Begging the question
 D)

Straw man
E)
16
Tomorrow night you will watch my opponent on these same channels. He'll try to
defend all the exhausted ideas that have landed this state in the gutter. You wait,
he'll pretend he's saying something new. But that's the way it goes in politics, and
I'll let him make his little speech. Freedom of choice is what America is all about.

Circumstantial ad hominem
A)

Burden of proof
B)

Begging the question

C)

Poisoning the well

D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
17
Either you floss daily or your teeth look pathetic.

Genetic fallacy
A)

False dilemma
B)

Burden of proof
C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
18
I beg to differ, Officer, but sometimes you people go overboard talking about the
dangers of fast driving. If you can prove that there's actually a child near the
street right now, and that the child would have stepped out in front of my car,
then I'll grant you that going fifty-five was dangerous.

False dilemma
A)

Slippery slope
B)

Begging the question

C)

Burden of proof
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
19
The life on other planets must be highly intelligent. After all, we've never
documented a single case of aliens landing on Earthwhich proves that they
realize how dangerous it would be to make contact.
Appeal to ignorance
 A)

Burden of proof
B)

Begging the question

C)

Perfectionist fallacy
D)

Line-drawing fallacy
E)
20
Ms. Turnier gave me extra homework for running in class. She has a rule against
it. But I told her, "I wasn't running, I was walking. One foot was in front of the
other." Maybe I went fast, but where is it in her book of rules that suddenly that's
running?

Line-drawing fallacy
A)

Poisoning the well

B)

Slippery slope
C)

Begging the question

D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
21
Don't stay in the Army. You were ROTC instead of going to one of the academies,
and that means they might promote you for a while, but you'll never get above
lieutenant colonel. Why bother?

False dilemma
A)

Circumstantial ad hominem
B)

Slippery slope
C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
22
Ms. Ng said to tell you I'm not reading enough. But I don't think you should worry.
She's a teacher, so she has reading on her mind.

False dilemma
A)

Appeal to ignorance
B)

Circumstantial ad hominem
C)

Burden of proof
D)
 Begging the question
E)
23
How do you like those developers trying to raise the sales tax to pay for the new
stadium? They say it's going to be profitable for the city. If it's so profitable, why
don't they build it out of their own money and really get rich?

Appeal to ignorance
A)

False dilemma
B)

Slippery slope
C)

Burden of proof
D)

Line-drawing fallacy
E)
24
Do I want the police department to take charge of writing parking tickets? You
mean, do I want to get shot if I pull up next to a fire hydrant? What do you think?

False dilemma
A)

Appeal to ignorance
B)

Begging the question

C)

Perfectionist fallacy
D)

Straw man
E)
25
Madam President, I don't see how we can go ahead with this curricular revision.
The committee is worried about students not getting a good liberal arts education;
but when you look closely at the details of the proposal, you see that a shrewd
student can still worm through with the right course selections and wind up
uneducated.

Circumstantial ad hominem
A)

Burden of proof
B)

Begging the question

C)

Line-drawing fallacy
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
26
What do you mean, I broke my curfew? All I did was walk to the curb. You
wouldn't cite me if I stood on the porch, would you? And if I'd just stepped off the
porch, that wouldn't be any different. So what's so magical about the curb?
False dilemma
 A)

Genetic fallacy
B)

Line-drawing fallacy
C)

Burden of proof
D)

Perfectionist fallacy
E)
27
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: My client's civil rights are at stake. It's true that
he pointed at the victim and told the other men with him, "That's the one who cost
you your jobs. Get him!" But that was only his expression of his opinion. You have
to either let a man speak his mind, or admit that we're living in a police state.

Slippery slope
A)

Burden of proof
B)

False dilemma
C)

Perfectionist fallacy
D)

Straw man
E)

1. People
should be
more careful
of what they
eat. Clearly,
we should stop
eating
everything
because
everything is
bad for us.

Missing
the Point

Appeal to
People
 Straw
Man

Appeal to
Force

2. I hope you
did my
homework for
me. I heard
that if you
don't do it,
something bad
will happen to
your face.

Appeal to
the People

Appeal to
Pity

Accident

Appeal to
Force

3. I really
think you
should give me
that A. I been
studying every
single day
since the
exam, and I
lost a lot of
sleep time.
Also, me and
my boyfriend
just broke up
and I can't
think straight
anymore.

Appeal to
 the People

Appeal to
Pity

Red
Herring

Straw
Man

4. Our
basketball
team just won
the
championship
3 years in a
row!
Therefore, the
hot dogs prices
must have
gone down.

Missing
the Point

Appeal to
People

Accident

Appeal to
Pity

5. The people
are telling the
government to
cut back on
taxes. Sadly,
this just
means that
people don't
want to fix that
burned down
school
anymore.

Missing
the Point

Accident

Red
Herring

Appeal to
Pity

6. The people
are telling the
government to
cut back on
taxes. Sadly,
this just
means that
people don't
want want to
fix that burned
down school
anymore.

Missing
the Point

Accident

Red
Herring

Appeal to
Pity

7. We should
never steal
anything.
Therefore, it
was wrong for
Billy to steal
the secret plan
to the next
terrorist
attack and
should be
penalize.

Accident

Appeal to
Pity

Appeal to
Force

Straw
Man

8. Bob told me
that we should
go back to
school. Still,
why should we
listen to Bob?
He's really fat
and have no
friends.

Attack
Against the
Person

Accident

Red
Herring

Appeal to
Pity

9. You should
really go out
and buy that
new cell
phone.
Everybody I
know have it.

Attack
Against the
Person

Appeal to
People

Appeal to
Force

Appeal to
Pity

10. I think you

should really
come to the
party with me.
I care about
you, and I
don't want
something bad
to happen to
your house.

Missing
the Point

Accident

Red
Herring

Appeal to
Force