Philosophy Fallacies of Reasoning Questions
QUESTION 1Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either you favor a strong national defense, or you favor allowing other nations to dictate our foreign policy.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 2Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Each part of the show, from the special effect to the acting is a masterpiece.ii. So the whole show is a masterpiece.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 3Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. All politicians are snakes. ii. No snake has legs. iii. So, no politician has legs. (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.aB.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 4Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Molecules are in constant random motion. ii. The Statue of Liberty is composed of molecules. iii. So the Statue of Liberty is in constant random motion. (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 5Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either I keep smoking or I will get fat.”(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) amphiboly(e) fallacy of divisionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 6Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Doctor: I can’t find the cause of your illness, but frankly I think it’s due to drinking. Patient: Then I’ll come back when you are sober.”(a) Begging the question (b) False dichotomy (c) Amphiboly(d) Equivocation(e) Fallacy of divisionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 7Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “If you do not support Barack Obama then you are a racist.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 8Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. A feather is light.ii. What is light cannot be dark.iii. Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) amphiboly(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 9Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Bill lives in a large building.ii. So, his apartment must be large.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 10Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Cars are heavy.ii. So all parts of cars are heavy.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 11Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either you get a college degree or you will live your life in poverty.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) amphiboly(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 12Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” -- George W. Bush, Sept. 20, 2001, in an address to Congress(a) Begging the question (b) False dichotomy (c) Equivocation (d) Fallacy of Composition(e) Fallacy of divisionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 13Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “It is wrong to kill innocent human beings. Fetuses are innocent human beings. Therefore, it is wrong to kill fetuses.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 14Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Dear Friend, a man who has studied law to its highest degree is a brilliant lawyer, for a brilliant lawyer has studied law to its highest degree.” -- Oscar Wilde, De Profundis(a) Begging the question (b) False dichotomy (c) Equivocation (d) Fallacy of Composition(e) Fallacy of divisionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 15Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either archaeological puzzles such as the Pyramids must remain mysteries, or we must postulate visits to earth by space men.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 16Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either you agree with me or you are an idiot.”(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of composition(e) fallacy of divisionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 17Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Allison is pleasant to be around, and her husband is pleasant to be around.ii. So they must be pleasant to be around as a couple.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 18Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Affirmative action can never be fair or just. You cannot remedy an injustice by committing another.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 19Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Sodium chloride (table salt) may be safely eaten.ii. Therefore, sodium and chloride may be safely eaten.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 20Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Functioning brains think.ii. Functioning brains are nothing but the neurons that they comprise.iii. So the individual neurons think.(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 21Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “If one doesn’t believe in God, anything goes.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 22Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Either God created the universe or it came into being out of nothing.”(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 23Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “Scientists talk about the pursuit of truth, but like most people, they are self-interested: the professional activities of most scientists are directed toward personal career enhancement, and only incidentally toward the pursuit of truth. Hence, the activities of the scientific community are directed toward enhancing the status of that community as a whole, and only incidentally toward the pursuit of truth.”(a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 24Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit:i. Murder is morally wrong.ii. The death penalty is an act of murder.iii. Therefore, the death penalty is morally wrong. (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.1 points QUESTION 25Which fallacy does the following statement or argument commit: “In the Meditations, Descartes argues that we need to prove God’s existence in order to establish the conclusion that what we perceive ‘clearly and distinctly’ is true. But the proof that he gives of God’s existence relies on the fact that what we perceive ‘clearly and distinctly’ is true.” (a) begging the question(b) false dichotomy(c) equivocation(d) fallacy of division(e) fallacy of compositionA.B.C.D.E.