Exam 3: Informal Fallacies

Practically everyone has driven home at one time or other after having had a few drinks. Therefore, you shouldn't have any problem with driving home now, even though you're a bit tipsy.

George likes chocolate truffles, and he also likes Tabasco sauce. Therefore he would certainly like some chocolate truffles topped with Tabasco sauce.

The appeal to fear is a variety of:

Every word in this sentence is meaningful. Therefore, the sentence is meaningful.

Religious fanatics are basically crazy because they are deluded. Of course they are deluded because they believe nonsense. And they believe nonsense because they are hopelessly narrow minded. Naturally they are hopelessly narrow minded because they are basically crazy.

Either Honda or Nissan makes the Altima. But it isn't Honda. Therefore Nissan makes the Altima.

Paul said that his new dog eats virtually anything and is very fond of children. Therefore, you shouldn't let your little boy get anywhere near that dog.

Dr. Williams cheated Medicare by exaggerating expenses, and Dr. Fox cheated by submitting fees for nonexistent patients. Dr. Harris defrauded a dozen insurance companies by requiring unneeded lab tests. The apparent conclusion is that all doctors cheat.

Those boarding a bus are never required to pass through a security checkpoint. Therefore, those boarding an airliner should not be required to pass through a security checkpoint.

Stem cell research is clearly immoral because any activity that destroys human beings is immoral.

April Bradley's arguments in favor of solar power are hardly worth listening to. After all, look where she graduated from-Northeast Texas State. That's hardly Ivy League. And look at how she dresses. Yuck!

Practically all the students in Professor Kane's English class copy their term papers from the Internet. Therefore, since you're in that class, you should do this, too.

Either you support the administration's policies or you don't deserve to be called a patriotic American. The choice should be obvious.

Barbara lost 15 pounds after taking the new InstaThin supplement for 6 weeks. Tiffany has the same metabolism, lifestyle, diet, body type, age, height and former weight as Barbara. Therefore, probably Tiffany could lose about 15 pounds if she takes InstaThin for 6 weeks.

No spoiled brats are good childhood companions. Therefore, no good childhood companions are spoiled brats.

During the four years that Allison has been president of the Westridge Retirement Club, five members have contracted diabetes. Therefore, to prevent any more cases of this disease we must elect a new president immediately.

Casey, Morgan, and Lawrence are freshman college students, and all of them are staunch Libertarians. It must be the case that all freshmen are staunch Libertarians.

Performance enhancing drugs are banned from professional sports. But Viagra is a performance enhancing drug. Therefore, Viagra is banned from professional sports.

Our weightlifting coach argues with great conviction about the dangers of steroids, but you really can't take him seriously. I've been told by a trustworthy source that when the coach was our age he popped steroid pills every day.

Nobody has ever seen Paul Carson go to church or participate in any religious activity. Therefore, probably Paul has no formal religious beliefs.