Can You Tell Which Fallacy Is This?
Fallacies are faulty and invalid reasoning in a sentence and mostly arguments. This argument may be deceptive because it appears to be better than it really is. Some fallacies are committed to manipulate and persuade using deceptive means ike flattery and hearsay. This short quiz will test your knowledge of how you can detect a type of fallacy.
- 1.
Anne: I think Capital punishment is a necessary component of our justice system and should remain legal. Henry: Are you saying that murder should be legal, and it is okay for us to go around killing people just because we think that they deserve it. What fallacy is Henry guilty of?
- A.
Hasty generalization
- B.
Begging the question
- C.
Appeal to flattery
- D.
Straw man
Correct Answer
D. Straw manExplanation
Henry is guilty of the fallacy of a straw man. He misrepresents Anne's argument by exaggerating it and creating a distorted version of her viewpoint. Anne never stated that murder should be legal or that it is okay to go around killing people. Henry's response mischaracterizes her position in order to make it easier to attack.Rate this question:
-
- 2.
Brian was surfing the internet when he came across a commercial YouTube video for a body cream. In the video, the announcer said, "This is the best body cream in the world because no other body cream makers have been able to prove otherwise!" what fallacy is the announcer guilty of?
- A.
Straw man
- B.
Appeal to ignorance
- C.
Hasty generalization
- D.
Special pleading
Correct Answer
B. Appeal to ignoranceExplanation
The announcer in the video is guilty of an appeal to ignorance fallacy. This fallacy occurs when someone argues that a claim is true simply because it has not been proven false, or vice versa. In this case, the announcer is claiming that the body cream is the best because no other body cream makers have been able to prove otherwise. This is fallacious reasoning because the lack of evidence against a claim does not make it automatically true.Rate this question:
-
- 3.
Mary has been working in a Law firm for almost two decades at the same wage. She desperately wants a raise. Mary approached her boss to raise her wage. She said: "You are the smartest and the kindest people I know." What kind of fallacy is this?
- A.
Special pleading
- B.
Begging the question
- C.
Appeal to flattery
- D.
Ad hominem
Correct Answer
C. Appeal to flatteryExplanation
The given statement is an example of an appeal to flattery fallacy. Mary is using flattery by complimenting her boss in order to manipulate him into giving her a raise. However, her compliment is irrelevant to the topic of discussion, which is her wage. This fallacy attempts to distract from the main issue by appealing to the emotions or ego of the person in power.Rate this question:
-
- 4.
David's Dad is concerned when he realized that he skipped school for a day. He told him that he is concerned that since he skipped school for a day, he will start skipping more frequently. Then he will drop out altogether, never graduate or get into college, and end up unemployed and living at home for the rest of his life. What type of fallacy has David's Dad committed?
- A.
Slippery Slope
- B.
Special pleading
- C.
Hasty generalization
- D.
Straw man
Correct Answer
A. Slippery SlopeExplanation
David's Dad has committed the fallacy of Slippery Slope. This fallacy occurs when someone argues that a small action or event will inevitably lead to a series of increasingly negative consequences, without providing sufficient evidence to support this claim. In this case, David's Dad is assuming that skipping school for a day will automatically result in more frequent absences, dropping out of school, unemployment, and a lifetime of living at home. However, he fails to provide any evidence or logical reasoning to support this chain of events.Rate this question:
-
- 5.
Pamela is the class Governor. She says that she thinks that the class should do more service projects. Mark says he can't believe that Pamela doesn't support the annual school dance. What type of fallacy has Mark committed?
- A.
Appeal to ignorance
- B.
Straw man
- C.
Hasty generalization
- D.
Special pleading
Correct Answer
B. Straw manExplanation
Mark has committed the fallacy of a straw man. He misrepresents Pamela's argument by assuming that because she supports service projects, she must not support the annual school dance. This is a distortion of Pamela's position and creates a false argument that she never made.Rate this question:
-
- 6.
Jane is trying to raise money for her university's library. In the letter to the board of trustees, she said, "We must raise tuition to cover the cost of new books. Otherwise, the school library will be forced to close. What type of fallacy has Jane committed?
- A.
Slippery Slope
- B.
False Dilemma
- C.
Straw man
- D.
Hasty generalization
Correct Answer
B. False DilemmaExplanation
Jane has committed a False Dilemma fallacy. This fallacy occurs when only two choices are presented, yet more options exist. Jane suggests that the only solutions are to raise tuition or face the closure of the library, ignoring other possible alternatives for funding.Rate this question:
-
- 7.
Which of the following statements is an example of the "straw man" fallacy?
- A.
"You can't believe anything she says; she's a convicted felon."
- B.
"He argues that we should invest in renewable energy. Clearly, he wants to shut down all fossil fuel industries and leave millions of people unemployed."
- C.
"If you don't support this war, you're unpatriotic."
- D.
"Nine out of ten dentists recommend this toothpaste."
Correct Answer
B. "He argues that we should invest in renewable energy. Clearly, he wants to shut down all fossil fuel industries and leave millions of people unemployed."Explanation
The straw man fallacy misrepresents an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack. In option (b), the speaker distorts the argument for renewable energy by exaggerating its implications, claiming it would lead to shutting down all fossil fuel industries and causing mass unemployment. This is a misrepresentation of the original argument, making it a straw man fallacy.Rate this question:
-
- 8.
Shawn: I think capital punishment is wrong. David: No, if it were wrong, it wouldn't be legal. Which kind of fallacy is this?
- A.
Straw man
- B.
Ad hominem
- C.
Begging the question
- D.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Correct Answer
C. Begging the questionExplanation
This is an example of begging the question fallacy, also known as circular reasoning. David's argument assumes that capital punishment is right because it is legal, without providing any evidence or reasoning to support this claim. This is a logical fallacy because it relies on the premise being true in order to prove itself, rather than providing independent evidence or reasoning.Rate this question:
-
- 9.
Willam Duckworth is running for as the faculty president of the college of social sciences. During his campaign speech, he said: "My opponent does not deserve to win. He is a fraudster and liar. What fallacy is the logical fallacy committed by Willam Duckworth here?
- A.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
- B.
Ad hominem
- C.
Straw man
- D.
Hasty generalization
Correct Answer
B. Ad hominemExplanation
In his campaign speech, Willam Duckworth attacks his opponent personally by calling him a fraudster and liar. This is an example of the ad hominem fallacy, which involves attacking the character or personal traits of an individual rather than addressing the actual argument or issue at hand. By resorting to personal attacks, Duckworth avoids addressing his opponent's qualifications or policies, and instead tries to discredit him through character assassination. This fallacy distracts from the actual issues and undermines the integrity of the debate.Rate this question:
-
- 10.
Jason and Mason have a heated argument. In the midst of their argument, Mason told Jason how much he hates him and how he wished he would get hit by a cab. The next day, Mason was told that Jason waa run by a taxi on his way home last night. Mason remembered his argument and his ill wish on Jason, and he blamed himself for what happened to him. What is the logical fallacy committed by Mason here?
- A.
Begging the question
- B.
Ad hominem
- C.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
- D.
Straw man
Correct Answer
C. Post hoc ergo propter hocExplanation
Mason is committing the logical fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc, which means "after this, therefore because of this." He is assuming that because his argument with Jason happened before the accident, it must have caused the accident. However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and it is more likely that the accident was a coincidence unrelated to their argument.Rate this question:
-
Quiz Review Timeline +
Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.
-
Current Version
-
Oct 23, 2024Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Dec 12, 2019Quiz Created by
AdewumiKoju
Back to top