Answer Happy

Attempts 2. Some Improper Forms: Fallacies of Relevance - The Ad Hominem (Argument Against the Person) Fallacy Now you will practice identifying a fallacy that is usually referred to as the Ad Hominem fallacy. This fallacy represents a common way that some bad arguments fail to meet the standards for relevant premises. The Ad Hominem fallacy always involves a rebuttal to someone else's argument. But rather than directly addressing points that are relevant to the other person's argument, the rebuttal attempts to dismiss the opponent by claiming that there is something objectionable about the opponent herself or himself. That is, an Ad Hominem fallacy simply attacks the other person without directly responding to the person's actual claims. Consider each of the following argumentative passages and determine (1) whether its premises provide sufficiently relevant support for the conclusion and (ii) whether, specifically, it commits an argument against the person fallacy. (Note: It is possible for a single argument to commit more than one type of fallacy.) Do No Harm / 5 Sally is a convicted felon, and in this state, the law denies convicted felons the right to vote. Consequently, Sally will not be able to cast a ballot in the next presidential election. This passage This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it Let me remind you: of the two of us, you are the one who has had a car accident. So you should stop nagging me every time I go a few miles over the speed limit... or run a stoplight... or occasionally make an illegal turn. This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Ad Hominem fallacy. Instances of tax evasion are increasing at a steady rate. There is one obvious conclusion: we should abolish the Internal Revenue Service immediately. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Ad Hominem fallacy. commit an Ad Hominem fallacy.
My doctor said I should lose some weight to help lower my cholesterol. But she's not exactly skinny herself! Maybe she should lose a few pounds before telling me to lose weight. This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it This passage I deserve a higher grade on my paper. After all, I was up all night working on the paper, even though I had just found out that my grandmother is sick. And I have had to work really hard in this class because I find the material to be so difficult. Can't you please appreciate my effort and raise my grade? commit an Ad Hominem fallacy. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Ad Hominem fallacy. Grade It Now Save & Continue Continue without saving
Attempts 3. Some Improper Forms: Fallacies of Relevance - Guilt by Association The fallacy of Guilt by Association is a common form of the Ad Hominem fallacy. This fallacy attempts to dismiss another person's argument by claiming that the person, or the person's argument, bears some affinity or relationship to a person, group, or view that is considered to be objectionable. That is, as in all cases of Ad Hominem, the fallacy of Guilt by Association attacks the person holding a view, rather than refuting the view itself. The key issue is that it is possible for objectionable people to hold a true belief, just as it is possible for admirable people to hold a false belief. Therefore, the presumed character of the person holding a particular belief is not sufficiently relevant to determine the truth of the belief itself. Furthermore, there may be a variety of different arguments for a particular belief so that, even if the objectionable group holds the belief on faulty grounds, the person you are attempting to refute may hold the belief for different, and stronger, reasons. In a proper refutation, particular beliefs and arguments must be evaluated on their own merits. Do No Harm / 5 Consider each of the following argumentative passages and determine (1) whether its premises provide sufficiently relevant support for the conclusion and (ii) whether, specifically, it commits the fallacy of Guilt by Association. (Note: It is possible for a single argument to commit more than one type of fallacy.) Use the dropdown menus to indicate your answer. You go too far in demanding that copies of "The Ten Commandments" not be displayed in America's public courtrooms. That sounds like the kind of thing that Lenin had in mind when he said "atheism is a natural and inseparable part of the theory and practice of scientific socialism." This passage This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it Many have hailed The Catcher in the Rye as a literary classic, but I say it is overrated. After all, the man who killed John Lennon was obsessed with the book, and was even carrying a copy of it with him when he committed the murder. Clearly the text appeals to homicidal madmen. commit the fallacy of Guilt by Association. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit the fallacy of Guilt by Association.
That company has been voted number one in customer satisfaction each of the last 10 years. So, if you are looking for a company you can rely on should you encounter a problem, then that company is a pretty safe bet. This passage Speeding is against the law. The driver of that speeding ambulance deserves a ticket. This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit the fallacy of Guilt by Association. Not only did Jack and Jill refuse to intervene when that group of students were beating up their classmate, but they also seemed to cheer on the assailants and encourage the assault to continue. Therefore, Jack and Jill also bear guilt for the victim's injuries. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit the fallacy of Guilt by Association. commit the fallacy of Guilt by Association. Grade It Now Save & Continue Continue without saving
4. Some Improper Forms: Appeal to Ignorance In this exercise, you will practice identifying a fallacy that is usually referred to as the Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. This fallacy is often classified as a fallacy of weak induction. In general, fallacies of weak induction mimic the forms of typical inductive arguments but rely on premises that are clearly inadequate to support a proposed conclusion. In particular, an appeal to ignorance fallacy leaps to a conclusion based on the lack of evidence to refute that conclusion. By contrast, the premises of a good inductive argument are supposed to provide positive evidence in support of a conclusion. Remember that the standard of relevant premises follows from the requirement that the premises of a good argument provide a good reason to believe the conclusion. In the case of an Appeal to Ignorance, the premises fail to meet the standards of sufficient relevance because a lack of evidence does not provide a good reason to assume that something is false. It merely suggests a need to seek the required evidence. Consider each of the following argumentative passages and determine (1) whether its premises provide sufficiently relevant support for the conclusion and (ii) whether, specifically, it commits an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. (Note: It is possible for a single argument to commit more than one type of fallacy.) Use the dropdown menus to indicate your answer. Some have argued for the creation of a world food bank, where stores of extra food could be kept to aid countries stricken by famine or natural disaster. But programs like the food bank would just encourage such countries to become dependent on the help of others rather than preparing ahead for times of misfortune. Besides, sometimes misfortunes like famines and natural disasters serve the useful purpose of curbing the tendency toward overpopulation. So the food bank would simply lead to overpopulated, destitute countries that are woefully unprepared to take care of themselves. This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it This passage Mr. Jones insists that he was at home sleeping peacefully when the murder occurred. And yet he is unable to produce a single person to confirm his alibi! Clearly, Mr. Jones is lying, and he is the murderer. commit an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy.
No one has ever been able to give unequivocal proof against the existence of God. Therefore, we must assume that God exists. This passage This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it Every time I am awakened by the alarm at the fire station down the street, I learn that a fire has broken out nearby. If we want to reduce the risk of fire in our neighborhood, we should prohibit the fire station from sounding its alarm. This passage provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. These photographs clearly show raccoons rummaging in my neighbor's garbage cans. So raccoons are probably responsible for the garbage that is strewn all over my yard and my neighbor's yard. provide sufficiently relevant premises; specifically, it commit an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. commit an Appeal to Ignorance fallacy. Grade It Now Save & Continue Continue without saving
Attempts Do No Harm / 4 5. Practice with Fallacies There are many ways that an argument may fail to meet the standards for good arguments. Now that you have had an opportunity to consider a variety of fallacies, you should be able to distinguish each of these fallacies from the others. Consider the following argumentative passages, and determine the type of fallacy that best describes each passage. (If the passage is not fallacious, choose "no fallacy.") Passage A Of course, the teacher's union is going to be opposed to merit pay for teachers. The teachers are just worried about losing their jobs. Consequently, their position must be faulty. Which of the following best describes the type of fallacy committed in Passage A? An Appeal to Novelty An Appeal to Ignorance An Ad Hominem fallacy An Appeal to Fear No fallacy
Passage B Several studies by independent researchers have shown this new medication to be superior for treating allergy symptoms. Consequently, since the treatment you are currently using has shown limited effectiveness, I think you should try the new medication. Which of the following best describes the type of fallacy committed in Passage B? No fallacy An Appeal to Pity An Appeal to Novelty An Appeal to Tradition An Appeal to Popularity Passage C That candidate has argued for a more progressive tax system. But, progressive taxation attempts to reduce the tax incidence of people with a lower ability to pay, while shifting the incidence increasingly to those with a higher ability to pay. That's just a warmed-over version of Marxism, and its slogan: "from each according to ability." Which of the following best describes the type of fallacy committed in Passage C? No fallacy A fallacy of Guilt by Association An Appeal to Ignorance An Appeal to Tradition An Appeal to Fear
Passage D Everybody I know is voting Smith for Governor. So, I guess I should vote for Smith. Which of the following best describes the type of fallacy committed in Passage D? A fallacy of Guilt by Association An Ad Hominem fallacy An Appeal to Fear No fallacy An Appeal to Popularity