Fallacy and Brad Pitt
Exercise
Identify the fallacies in the following passages. A. The appeal to ignorance B. The appeal to inappropriate authority C. Argument against the person D. The appeal to emotion E. Irrelevant conclusion F. Complex Question G. False Cause H. Begging the question I. Accident J. Converse Accident
1. Brad Pitt is so cool because so many girls think he is. D, E, H
2. Einstein’s theories must be wrong because he was a very weird person. C, G
3. We should have imprisoned all the German and Italian Americans during the Second World War because they or their parents came from the countries of America’s enemies. B, C, G, J
4. Scientific date report that some people who smoke five packs of cigarettes a day died within 20 years. Jones smokes five packs of cigarettes a day. Thus, he will die within 20 years. E, G, I
5. Whatever he says is false because he is a communist. A,B, C
6. Nuclear weapons should be destroyed because Mel Gibson said that. G, E
7. We should not execute anybody who has old parents to take care of. C, D, F, H, J
8. The night always comes after the day; therefore, the day is the cause of the night. F
9. Have you stopped cheating on your exams? F, G, C, J
10. I love him so much, because, well, I just love him! E, G, H
11. John Jones takes birth-control pills regularly and fails to become pregnant. Therefore, this pill is working. E, G, I
12. Smith is a 20 old woman, and 90% of such women survive to celebrate their 40th birthday. Thus Smith will live at least another 20 years. G, E,
Identify the fallacies in the following passages. A. The appeal to ignorance B. The appeal to inappropriate authority C. Argument against the person D. The appeal to emotion E. Irrelevant conclusion F. Complex Question G. False Cause H. Begging the question I. Accident J. Converse Accident
1. Brad Pitt is so cool because so many girls think he is. D, E, H
2. Einstein’s theories must be wrong because he was a very weird person. C, G
3. We should have imprisoned all the German and Italian Americans during the Second World War because they or their parents came from the countries of America’s enemies. B, C, G, J
4. Scientific date report that some people who smoke five packs of cigarettes a day died within 20 years. Jones smokes five packs of cigarettes a day. Thus, he will die within 20 years. E, G, I
5. Whatever he says is false because he is a communist. A,B, C
6. Nuclear weapons should be destroyed because Mel Gibson said that. G, E
7. We should not execute anybody who has old parents to take care of. C, D, F, H, J
8. The night always comes after the day; therefore, the day is the cause of the night. F
9. Have you stopped cheating on your exams? F, G, C, J
10. I love him so much, because, well, I just love him! E, G, H
11. John Jones takes birth-control pills regularly and fails to become pregnant. Therefore, this pill is working. E, G, I
12. Smith is a 20 old woman, and 90% of such women survive to celebrate their 40th birthday. Thus Smith will live at least another 20 years. G, E,