More Fallacies Quiz

More Fallacies Quiz I
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Results Reporter | | Out of 3 questions, you answered 2 correctly with a final grade of 67% | | | | | | 2 correct (67%) | | | | 1 incorrect (33%) | | | | 0 unanswered (0%) | | |

Your Results: | The correct answer for each question is indicated by a . |
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Please answer all questions. | 1 CORRECT | |
It is fair to say that all rhetorical devices tempt us to accept a claim or modify our position on an issue without our having a good reason for doing so. | | | A) | True | | | B) | False | | | | | | Feedback: Reason is not the only thing that affects beliefs, attitudes, and feelings. Rhetorical devices employ everything but reason to influence someone's acceptance of a claim. | | 2 INCORRECT | |
An appeal to ignorance is an ad hominem attack where the intelligence of the arguer is impugned. | | | A) | True | | | B) | False | | | | | | | | 3 CORRECT | |
It is fallacious to conclude that a person's claim should be dismissed if it is determined that they are hypocritical on the subject. | | | A) | True | | | B) | False | | | | | | Feedback: To do so would be to commit an ad hominem fallacy. Whether the person making the claim is a hypocrite, an ax murderer, omniscient, or more devoted to the imperative not to lie than Immanuel Kant, should be irrelevant in judging the argument they are forwarding. |
More Fallacies Quiz II
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Results Reporter | | Out of 27 questions, you answered 13 correctly with a final grade of 48% | | | | | | 13 correct (48%) | | | | 14 incorrect (52%) | | | | 0 unanswered (0%) | | |

Your Results: | The correct answer for each question is indicated by a . |
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| 1 CORRECT | |
From the list below, select the name of the rhetorical device that attacks the arguer instead of the argument. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: When analyzing an argument, the internal claims—premises—are fair game for attack. The qualities of the person making the argument are not fair game because they aren't pertinent to the argument itself. | | 2 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | | | 3 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: This is, arguably, the most frustrating fallacy to combat when it's hurled at you. To stay engaged in the debate, you must first untangle and correct the distortions, oversimplifications, and misrepresented versions your opponent is working with. Then, you may proceed with your rebuttal. Of course, all your opponent has to do is continue creating 'straw men' out of everything you say and you'll remain occupied for as long as he wants you to be. It is often best to refuse to deal with people who have no qualms about using this rhetorical technique (if at all possible). | | 4 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: If the flight attendant told you that you could have cream or sugar in your tea, when there was also milk and honey available, then s/he'd be presenting you with a false dilemma. | | 5 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: If, for instance, you say "That's OK" when someone accidentally steps on our toes, then the next time they carelessly bump into you and step on your toes and you say "That's OK", then the next time they (intentionally?) step on your toes, you also say "That's OK"... {continue to gradually escalate the examples until}... they beat youup and you say "That's abuse.", if they say "Well you've always said it was OK before and put up with it, so you can't suddenly say it isn't. You must continue to put up with it.", then they have committed the slippery slope fallacy. | | 6 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: If someone uses a slippery slope fallacy to convince you that there is a necessary connection between trying marijuana once and ending up strung out on heroin, their reasons will gradually build on the marijuana use to the use of harder substances to the addiction thereof, until finally they conclude with the worst scenario. Be cautious of dismissing all slippery slopes out of hand because some do have necessary connections from the least to greatest event--a nuclear meltdown, for example. | | 7 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: g. the argument 'God exists because God exists' is logically valid, however it is circular because the very thing we are trying to prove is being assumed in the premise. Therefore, although valid, it is fallacious. Although this is such an obvious example of circularity, or 'begging the question', most cases are not. | | 8 CORRECT | |
Poisoning the well and argument from inconsistency are versions of which of the following types of rhetorical devices? | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Begging the question | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Ad hominem | | | E) | Burden of proof | | | F) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: This is due to the fact that the attack is not within the scope of the argument, but at the person delivering the argument. |
Choose the fallacy at work in these examples. | 9 CORRECT | |
Either join in political life or resign yourself to a lonely and meaningless existence. | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | C) | Appeal to ignorance | | | D) | Poisoning the well | | | E) | Genetic fallacy | | | | | | Feedback: There are, in fact, other choices for living a meaningful life, and doing so with company. | | 10 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Appeal to ignorance | | | B) | Burden of proof | | | C) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | Feedback: A person's circumstances do add dimension to their views, however, arguments themselves should stand or fall on their own merit, and not by how the proponent of the view came to believe in it. | | 11 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Genetic fallacy | | | B) | Slippery slope | | | C) | Appeal to ignorance | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | Feedback: This appeal to ignorance, i.e. the fact that we don't know that it doesn't work, operates by shifting the burden of proof from the person making the claim to anyone who would care to refute it. | | 12 CORRECT | |
Defense lawyer Robert Baker at O. J. Simpson's civil trial: This isn't a fight for justice, it's a fight for money. | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Slippery slope | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | Feedback: It could be a fight for both or neither (in which case there would be a third alternative, or more, to choose from). | | 13 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Poisoning the well | | | B) | Genetic fallacy | | | C) | Burden of proof | | | D) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | E) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | | | | | | 14 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Poisoning the well | | | B) | Genetic fallacy | | | C) | Slippery slope | | | D) | Begging the question | | | E) | Straw man | | | | | | Feedback: If the philosophical ideal of "leisure and learning" was "built on the backs of slaves", then that's a good reason to criticize the ideal as it played out in ancient Greece. However, the philosophical ideal, as it plays out now, is immune from such criticism unless an argument can be made for present day slave support. | | 15 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Genetic fallacy | | | B) | Slippery slope | | | C) | Burden of proof | | | D) | Begging the question | | | E) | Straw man | | | | | | | | 16 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | B) | Burden of proof | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Poisoning the well | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 17 INCORRECT | |
Either you floss daily or your teeth look pathetic. | | | A) | Genetic fallacy | | | B) | False dilemma | | | C) | Burden of proof | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 18 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Slippery slope | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Burden of proof | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 19 INCORRECT | |
The life on other planets must be highly intelligent. After all, we've never documented a single case of aliens landing on Earth—which proves that they realize how dangerous it would be to make contact. | | | A) | Appeal to ignorance | | | B) | Burden of proof | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | E) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | | | | | | 20 INCORRECT | |
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? | | | A) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | B) | Poisoning the well | | | C) | Slippery slope | | | D) | Begging the question | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 21 INCORRECT | |
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? | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | C) | Slippery slope | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 22 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Appeal to ignorance | | | C) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | D) | Burden of proof | | | E) | Begging the question | | | | | | | | 23 INCORRECT | |
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? | | | A) | Appeal to ignorance | | | B) | False dilemma | | | C) | Slippery slope | | | D) | Burden of proof | | | E) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | | | | | | 24 INCORRECT | |
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? | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Appeal to ignorance | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | E) | Straw man | | | | | | | | 25 CORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Circumstantial ad hominem | | | B) | Burden of proof | | | C) | Begging the question | | | D) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | Feedback: If the proposed curriculum is the best one critiqued by the committee, then the fact that it is possible that a very small percentage of students might get through the system without taking advantage of the educational opportunities is an acceptable risk. It would be irrational to reject it for not being perfect (especially since nothing better is on the table). | | 26 INCORRECT | |
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? | | | A) | False dilemma | | | B) | Genetic fallacy | | | C) | Line-drawing fallacy | | | D) | Burden of proof | | | E) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | | | | | | 27 INCORRECT | |
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. | | | A) | Slippery slope | | | B) | Burden of proof | | | C) | False dilemma | | | D) | Perfectionist fallacy | | | E) | Straw man | | | | | | | Bottom of Form Bottom of Form