PhB Bachelor of Philosophy Logic and Argumentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Inductive arguments, unlike deductive ones, aim to show that their conclusions are:
- Necessarily true given the premises
- Logically entailed by the premises
- Probably true given the premises (Correct answer)
- Analytically true
Correct answer: Probably true given the premises
Inductive arguments make the conclusion probable or well-supported, not guaranteed—even a strong inductive argument can have a false conclusion.
Question 2: The false dilemma (false dichotomy) fallacy presents a situation as having only two options when in fact:
- Both options are equally bad
- More options exist (Correct answer)
- Neither option is valid
- The two options are contradictory
Correct answer: More options exist
False dilemmas artificially restrict the logical space by ignoring intermediate or alternative possibilities beyond two presented extremes.
Question 3: In formal logic, a tautology is a statement that is:
- False in all possible interpretations
- True in all possible interpretations (Correct answer)
- True only in some interpretations
- Meaningful but unverifiable
Correct answer: True in all possible interpretations
A tautology is necessarily true by virtue of its logical form alone—its truth value is independent of the actual facts.
Question 4: The appeal to authority fallacy occurs when:
- Someone cites a genuine expert in the relevant field
- Someone cites an authority figure who lacks relevant expertise on the issue (Correct answer)
- Someone appeals to the consensus of experts
- Someone uses peer-reviewed studies to support a claim
Correct answer: Someone cites an authority figure who lacks relevant expertise on the issue
Legitimate appeals to authority cite relevant experts; the fallacy arises when the cited authority lacks expertise in the specific domain under discussion.
Question 5: The principle of charity in argumentation requires that we:
- Always agree with our opponents' conclusions
- Interpret opponents' arguments in their strongest or most reasonable form (Correct answer)
- Accept any argument that is emotionally compelling
- Attribute good intentions to all arguers
Correct answer: Interpret opponents' arguments in their strongest or most reasonable form
Charitable interpretation engages with the best version of an argument, ensuring that refutation is substantive rather than based on a distorted representation.
Question 6: Slippery slope arguments are fallacious when they assume that:
- One step will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without adequate causal justification (Correct answer)
- Complex problems have simple solutions
- The majority opinion must be correct
- An action is wrong because it has bad intentions
Correct answer: One step will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without adequate causal justification
A slippery slope is fallacious when the causal chain leading from one action to extreme consequences is asserted without evidence that each step is likely.
PhB Bachelor of Philosophy Logic and Argumentation 2
Inductive arguments, unlike deductive ones, aim to show that their conclusions are: