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Appeal to authority
This fallacy is committed when the I need to buy some drinks for the
arguer cites as evidence the authority party tonight. I think I’ll get Diet
or testimony of someone who is not in Pepsi, because that’s what MC
fact an authority in the relevant Hammer says has the best taste.
subject area.
Brad Pitt said in a recent interview Lester Brown, author of the annual
that nuclear power plants should be State of the World report, has said
shut down because they are unsafe. that the depletion of the rain forests is
So I am going to vote to close them one of the ten most serious problems
down since they are clearly unsafe. worldwide. Thus, it must be the case
that this is in fact a very serious
problem.
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Nobody has ever proved that God Nobody has ever proved that God
does not exist, so God must exist. does not exist, so God must exist.
Nobody has ever proved that ESP Nobody has ever proved that ESP
actually happens, so it must not. actually happens, so it must not.
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False Dichotomy
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Slippery Slope
Comparison between Slippery Slope
1. A v B
and False Dichotomy
2. ~B
3. A
Both essentially have the form of a
disjunctive syllogism. (Which is a valid
form of inference!)
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False Cause
This fallacy is committed when one During the past two months, every
concludes that A causes B, when in time the cheerleaders have worn blue
fact all that has been shown is a ribbons, the basketball team has won.
correlation between A and B. So if we want to keep winning, they
had better continue to wear the blue
ribbons.
Children become able to solve Every time Jerome Bettis carries more
complex problems, predict the than 30 times, the Steelers win. So all
behavior of others, and think of Cowher has to do to keep the Steelers
objects objectively at the same time winning is to give the ball to Bettis at
that they learn language. Therefore, least 30 times a game.
learning a language is what causes
these abilities.
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1. Coincidence
2. A causes B
3. B causes A
4. A and B both caused by C
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Hasty Generalization
Is committed when the arguer draws I think I won't accept the job at Office
a conclusion about all members of a
Depot. My boss would be a woman,
group from characteristics of a few and at my last job my boss was a
members. It is a fallacy if there is no
woman, and she was the worst boss
reason to think that the example
I've ever had.
individuals are typical. (Sample might
be too small, or the sampling might
be systematically biased.)
All are based on noticing a correlation With false cause, there may be no move
from some to all (the data may hold for
and then drawing a bad conclusion
all), and if there is a move from some to
from that correlation. all, that isn’t the problem. Problem is the
causal relation.
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Every human being who has ever died Every human being who has ever died
has had hydrogen atoms in their body has had hydrogen atoms in their body
somewhere. Usually lots of them. somewhere. Usually lots of them.
Therefore, hydrogen causes death. Therefore, hydrogen causes death.
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Ben: How come I didn’t get invited to A recent study has shown that among
your party? the youth of our city, 80 percent of
those who contracted venereal disease
Sally: Because you’re the most boring last year had taken sex education
person I’ve ever met. And you always classes in high school. Obviously if we
smell like crap. want to cut down on the incidence of
VD we must get rid of those sex
education classes.
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The President must be doing a bad I don’t know how you can take
job. His approval ratings are really Heidegger seriously. He was a Nazi
low. sympathizer, you know.
I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to class Kekulé says that benzene has a ring-
yesterday. My grandmother passed like structure. But he also says that
away and I had to attend her funeral. this idea first came to him in a dream.
Why should I trust any scientific claim
that was inspired by a dream?
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Mr Johnson thinks marijuana should Why don’t you support the death
be legalized, but does he realize the penalty? Do you want hardened and
kind of effects drugs have on kids? dangerous criminals wandering the
Not only are many drugs dangerously streets?
addictive, needle use among drug
addicts often leads to the propagation
of the AIDS virus.
Some parents in the district think we How dare you criticize my logic! You
should provide bilingual education in commit fallacies left and right!
Spanish. We cannot do this. If we do,
then some will ask for bilingual
education in Greek, and then in
German and Japanese. Next it will be
Hungarian and Polish. These programs
would be far too expensive to
maintain.
You should have your brakes checked. Today is Monday, and I crashed my
It sounds like they are about ready to car. Last Monday my boyfriend
go, and if they do, you will likely crash dumped me for my younger sister. I
your car and get injured. think I’ll kill myself before next
Monday so nothing else rotten
happens.
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Rent with Hertz, or get stuck in the Happy Birthday sweetie! I got you a
rain and pay too much and lose the CD by the Oak Ridge Boys. They have
big company contract. long hair and guitars just like those
other bands you like -- you know,
Metallica and Korn.
Smith, Adams, and Harris all outlived Whenever we drive to Murphy’s Bar,
their wives, and their wives were we always get into an accident on the
younger than they were. It must be way back. It’s getting to be too much.
the case that men outlive women Next time we’re going to go to some
these days. other bar.
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