Identifying Logical Fallacies Flashcards

An argument uses the word 'theory' to mean both 'scientific theory' and 'guess' in different parts of the same passage. This fallacy is called:

Answer: Equivocation

Equivocation exploits a word's multiple meanings to make a misleading argument appear valid.

The argument 'Each part of this machine is lightweight, so the machine itself must be lightweight' is an example of:

Answer: Composition fallacy

The composition fallacy wrongly assumes that what is true of individual parts must also be true of the whole.

Conversely, the argument 'This team has brilliant players, so each player must be brilliant' commits the:

Answer: Division fallacy

The division fallacy incorrectly attributes properties of a whole to its individual parts.

An AWA passage argues: 'We should reject the scientific consensus on climate change because scientists have been wrong before.' This commits:

Answer: Genetic fallacy

The genetic fallacy judges a claim based on its source's past failures rather than evaluating the claim's current evidence.

A business report concludes: 'Sales rose after we launched the new campaign, proving the campaign worked.' Without additional evidence, this is a:

Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post hoc ergo propter hoc assumes that because B followed A, A caused B, ignoring other possible causes.

The fallacy of 'false equivalence' occurs when an argument:

Answer: Treats two significantly different things as if they are equal

False equivalence wrongly presents two things as comparable when they differ in important and relevant ways.

An argument concludes: 'This policy must be good because I cannot imagine any objection to it.' This is an example of:

Answer: Argument from incredulity

Argument from incredulity (or personal incredulity) treats one's inability to conceive of alternatives as proof of a claim.