Ling 21: Language and Thinking

Test 2 REVIEW

I. Write a complete definition of five terms, like the ones below (2 pts each, 10 pts total).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Logical fallacy
Begging the question
Scare tactics
Irrelevance
Appeal to ignorance

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Questionable cause
Slippery slope
Positive relevance
Straw man
Inconsistency

II. Which fallacies of relevance are committed in the following arguments? Justify your
answer. (4 pts each, 12 pts total).
Note:

The 11 fallacies of relevance: Personal attack; Attacking the motive;

Look whos talking; Two wrongs make a right; Scare tactics; Appeal to pity;
Bandwagon argument; Straw man; Red herring; Equivocation; Begging the question.

A. Dave Cortese: Police response times are ridiculous. A friend of mine was just stabbed by her
husband and she died because it took the police 25 minutes to respond to the call. Do you want
to be in a similar situation? If not, you should vote for me as mayor of San Jose.
B. Everybody I know has seen the movie The Story of A Recycle Bin and so I suppose I should
see it, too, even though Im not that interested in seeing a movie about a recycle bin.
C. You know, officer, I dont know this city very well, and I was lost and late for a job interview,
and thats why I was going 110 mph down 880. Im a woman traveling alone at night; youre
not going to give me a ticket, are you?
III. Which fallacies of evidence are committed in the following arguments? Justify your
answer. (4 pts each, 12 pts total).
Note: The 9 fallacies of insufficient evidence: Inappropriate appeal to authority;
Appeal to ignorance; False alternatives; Loaded question; Questionable cause;
Hasty generalization; Slippery slope; Weak analogy; Inconsistency.
A. Alex Trebek endorses Liberty Mutual life insurance, so I guess Ill buy a policy from them.
After all, Alex is the host of Jeopardy and that must mean he knows everything.
B. Gypsies camped next to my soybean field last fall; my last soybean harvest was horrible. The
gypsies must have put a curse on my field!
C. Drinking Bud Light is like riding a bike; you just dont want to do it.

Ling 21: Language and Thinking

Test 2 REVIEW

IV. For each passage, decide if it contains a fallacy, and identify the fallacy if it does.
Remember, some passages may not contain fallacies. In addition, explain why you have
analyzed the example either as a particular fallacy or as not containing a fallacy (4 pts
each, 12 pts total).
A.

Don: I notice you drink a lot of coffee in Styrofoam cups. Each year Americans
throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups, and they're not biodegradable.
Have you ever considered switching to a reusable coffee mug?
Joan: Thats a good point. And do you put the cans from the soda you drink in the
recycle bin?
Don: Youre right! I will start doing that today.

B.

Fern: Children should be raised to respect rules and the rights of other persons. And
when they dont, they should receive appropriate discipline.
Vern: I strongly disagree with your callouseven sadisticview. It is absolutely
sickening to read stories of children who suffer broken bones from parental beatings and
who are burned with cigarettes by psychotic parents.

C. A couple of weeks ago, I received a chain letter that said bad luck would come my way if I
did not send the letter on to at least 10 people I knew. I mumbled something about superstitious
nonsense and threw the letter away. Bad move! The very next day I was attacked by a
Rottweiler, got dumped by my girlfriend, and was fired from my job. Once is enough. You can
bet that next time I get a chain letter I will do exactly what it says.

V. Supply two conclusions to an argument with the following premise. The premise should
be negatively relevant to the first conclusion and irrelevant to the second. Justify your
answer (4 pts).
Premise: The price of textbooks continues to rise.