Logical Fallacies, practice

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

It is ridiculous to have spent thousands of dollars to rescue those two whales trapped in the Arctic ice. Why, look at all the people trapped in jobs they don’t like.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

Plagiarism is deceitful because it is dishonest.

Answer explanation

"Deceitful" already means dishonest. Therefore, you did not prove how plagiarism is deceitful because you basically repeated the word. It's like saying A is B because B.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

Water fluoridation affects the brain. Citywide, student’s test scores began to drop five months after fluoridation began. The water fluoridation must have caused the student's test scores to drop.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

I know three redheads who have terrible tempers, and since Annabel has red hair, I’ll bet she has a terrible temper too.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

You support capital punishment just because you want an “eye for an eye,” but I have several good reasons to believe that capital punishment is fundamentally wrong…

• Straw man

• Red herring

• Hasty generalization

• Missing the point

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

We can’t freeze the academic year because then students won’t graduate on time. Next thing you know most people will be unemployed and will resort to crime. The crime rate will skyrocket and society will collapse.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

The book "Investing for Dummies" really helped me understand my finances better. The book "Chess for Dummies" was written by the same author, was published by the same press, and costs about the same amount, so it would probably help me understand my finances as well.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

Look, you are going to have to make up your mind. Either you decide that you can afford this stereo, or you decide you are going to do without music for a while

• False dichotomy

• Weak analogy

• Straw man

• Red herring

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

We shouldn’t put her in jail even if she stole billions of pesos. She is already too old to be locked up.

Identify the logical fallacy committed.

There is a global recession and more people are becoming hungry and desperate. Crimes of theft and robbery have been increasing at an alarming rate lately. The only way to solve this problem is by reinstating the death penalty

• False dichotomy

• Weak analogy

• Straw man

• Red herring