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Year 11 Informal Fallacies

Total questions: 31

Worksheet time: 16mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The theory of natural evolution was invented by atheists. Therefore, we should not be persuaded by the theory.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

2.

Mary is very self-centred and egotistical. This is why her views on religion are nonsense.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

3.

No-one has proven Armstrong to be a drugs cheat, so he is not a drugs cheat.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

4.

Seagulls, terns and gannets are all sea birds and they are all mainly white in colour. It follows that sea birds are mainly white in colour.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

5.

Anne and Alex are great arguers. They are arguing all the time.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

6.

Lots of cyclists do not injure themselves while riding without a helmet. I know this because none of my friends have injured themselves while riding without a helmet.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

7.

Justin scored a hole-in-one during a golf game, so he knows a lot about golf.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

8.

You don't know that a nuclear war will not start tomorrow. So it makes sense that you build a bunker deep below ground and keep it continuously stocked with provisions for the aftermath.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

9.

The idea that human beings have a soul and animals don't is derived from the world’s ancient religions. This shows that it is wrong and has no validity today.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

10.

A feather is light and what is light cannot be dark, so a feather cannot be dark.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

11.

The temperature in my home town has been getting significantly warmer over the past 20 years and so this means that global warming must be happening.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

12.

To this day scientists have not been able to find life anywhere else in the universe, so we must be the only living things in all of existence.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

13.

Many right-leaning politicians will claim marriage equality is not right but we all know that those ideas come from the Churches they attend, and so we can dismiss their claims.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

14.

Henry Rumsfeld argued for a policy of Jobs and Growth in the election led up to help secure Australia’s future. However, Rumsfeld has also admitted to smoking marijuana at university in his youth. So his argument for the policy can be dismissed because he is just a pothead.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

15.

Science cannot account for near-death experiences and so the only conclusion must be that these experiences point to an after-life which is beyond science.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

16.

The reason we did not accept the proposal from Gary was because he has shown signs of being timid in the past in relation to his incident management.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

17.

I have a couple of friends who claim to be feminists and they are all annoying, so I think that all feminists must be annoying.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

18.

You might claim that socialism is the only just form of government but that’s because you are a socialist yourself.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

19.

The neurosurgeon said that mental states like pain are identical to brain states like C-fibers firing. Neurosurgeons know a lot about brains and so we should believe what he said about mental states and brain states.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

20.

My dad said that there are issues with Sudanese gangs in Victoria and so, the Victorian Police should be on the lookout for Sudanese people engaged in criminal activity.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

21.

My parents went away for the long weekend and asked to make sure the back porch was illuminated well, so that our pet dog, Lil’ Pebbles, was comfortable. So, I am going to throw a lit party on the back porch to make sure Lil’ P is feeling at home.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

22.

I met this person who said there’s a material called vibranium which allows you to build amazing things and source energy incredibly efficiently but what would they know? They are from Wakanda, that poor country in Africa and so there is no way I am believing them.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

23.

When reviewing the research on the nature of chimpanzees there is a surprising lack of evidence to support the notion that they are fundamentally aggressive. Given that we have not found evidence of these natural tendencies it follows that human beings, a close evolutionary relative of the chimpanzee, are not fundamentally aggressive as well.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

24.

Most computer games are violent. This is because the computer game series Grand Theft Auto is violent and they are very popular computer games.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

25.

It is certainly the case that Nietzsche and Marx had fantastic facial hair. In fact, many philosophers over the years have had some sort of facial hair. But Nietzsche only had an amazing moustache not beard like most philosophers and so, we should pay no attention to what he says.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

26.

I spoke to a cognitive scientist about dental health and they advised me that learning a language is great for increasing my cognitive abilities which in turn would aid my dental health. If someone is going to know stuff about teeth, a cognitive scientist will and so I’m going to learn French.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

27.

Area 51 is the location where supposedly the USA holds and researches aliens and alien technology. We cannot know that there definitely are not any aliens being held in Area 51 and so I propose that we raid Area 51 to find the aliens.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

28.

When I was doing my maths exercises my teacher asked the class to share their responses to question 10. I provided an answer and my teacher told me I am wrong. My mother also told me that it was wrong to eat cereal through my nose and my dad said it was wrong to scream “there’s a bomb on this bus” when there really wasn’t. Therefore, all three think I did something immoral.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

29.

There is a man who makes the best hats in town. His name is Helmet Headpeice. Therefore, he is the best person to ask about how to protect yourself from the sun.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance

30.

My dad and I have been eating a meat only diet which has resolved long standing mental and physical issues. Therefore, this diet, which we provide a guide for on our website for $59.99 a month, will help resolve everyone’s mental and physical issues.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Equivocation

31.

The fact is their relationship started via the online dating application Tinder and therefore, it is not really a serious relationship at all.

a)

Genetic fallacy

b)

Ad Hominem

c)

Hasty Generalisation

d)

Argument from irrelevant authority

e)

Argument from ignorance