12 Angry Men Logical Fallacies

To support his point that the boy could be guilty, the Foreman says, “Anyway, this friend of my uncle’s was on a jury once, about ten years ago—a case just about like this one […] They let [the man] off. Reasonable doubt. And y’know, about eight years later they found out he’d actually done it, anyway. A guilty man—a murderer—was turned loose in the streets” (12).

What logical fallacy is he committing?

• Hasty Generalization

• Ad Homenim

• Bandwagoning

• False Appeal to Emotion

“Listen, there are still eleven of us who think he's guilty. You're alone. What do you think you're gonna accomplish? If you want to be stubborn and hang this jury, he'll be tried again and found guilty…” T

o what fallacy is Three appealing to convince Eight to change his vote?

• Faulty Appeal to Emotion

• Ad Hominem

• Bandwagoning

• Hasty Generalization

“Look, this boy's been kicked around all his life. You know, living in a slum, his mother dead since he was nine. That's not a very good head start. He's a tough, angry kid. You know why slum kids get that way? Because we knock 'em on the head once a day, every day.”

 What logical fallacy is Eight committing while trying to persuade the other jurors to discuss the boy’s case?

• Faulty Appeal to Emotion

• Ad Hominem

• Bandwagoning

• Hasty Generalization

Seven: “Look at the kid’s record. He stole a car. He’s been arrested for mugging...At fifteen he was in reform school.” Seven: [with sarcasm] This is a very fine boy.”

Which Logical Fallacy is Seven committing when speaking to the other jurors.

• Faulty Appeal to Emotion

• Ad Hominem

• Bandwagoning

• Hasty Generalization

In the excerpt below, Three and Eight are committing the same logical fallacy. What is it?

THREE. You come in here with your heart bleeding all over the floor about slum kids and injustice but you make up these wild stories, and you’ve got some soft-hearted old ladies listening to you. Well I’m not. I’m getting real sick of it. (To all) What’s the matter with you people? This kid is guilty! He’s got to burn! We’re letting him slip through our fingers here.

EIGHT (calmly). Our fingers? Are you his executioner?

THREE (raging). I’m one of them.

EIGHT. Perhaps you’d like to pull the switch.

THREE (shouting). For this kid? You’d bet I’d like to pull the switch!

EIGHT. I’m sorry for you.

THREE (shouting). Don’t start with me.

EIGHT. What it must feel like to want to pull the switch! [...] You’re a sadist.

Which logical fallacy is demonstrated in the quote above by both jurors?

• Hasty Generalization

• Ad Hominem

• Bandwagoning

• Faulty Appeal to Emotion