UGED1111D/E Logic Lecture 12 Fallacy: Class Exercise

1) In Hurley’s A Concise Introduction to Logic, he defines “fallacy” as “a defect in an argument

that arises from either a mistake in reasoning or from the creation of an illusion that makes a
bad argument appear good (122).” Can you explain why Hurley’s definition is too narrow
according to our fourfold classification of fallacy?

2) Identify a fallacy in each of the following passages. Briefly explain your answer.

a) 用望遠鏡觀星和觀看鄰居的日常起居都是受好奇心驅使的行為。既然用望遠鏡觀星並
無不妥，我用望遠鏡觀察左鄰右里的日常生活，有什麼值得大驚小怪?

b) 我自從按照瑩瑩師傅的指示，在家中這角落放了水晶擺設，不但升職加薪，賭運更大
大改善，瑩瑩師傅果然名不虛傳。

c) 我認識了他 10 年，他一直都沒有女朋友，他一定是同性戀

d) 100,000 voters from Orange County, California, were surveyed on their choice for state
governor, and 68% said they intend to vote for the Republican candidate. Clearly the
Republican candidate will be elected.

e) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says that his country’s nuclear program is purely for
peaceful purposes. Therefore, given Kim’s familiarity with that program, we should not think for
a moment that North Korea’s nuclear program will be used for military purposes.

f) Why are you still studying the theory of economics put forward by X? Do you know that X lost
all his money in stock market, went bankrupt and cannot even support his family?
g) We’ve all heard the argument that too much television is the reason our students can’t read
and write. Yet many of today’s TV shows are excellent. Grey’s Anatomy unveils the personal
lives of interns at an urban hospital, The Big Bang Theory offers lots of laughs. Today’s TV is just
great!

h) Political commentator X argues that government should deregulate the operations of big
corporations. Obviously, X wants to abolish government altogether. Yet without government
there would be no defense, no judicial system, and no health and safety regulations. None of us
wants to forgo these benefits. Thus, we can see that X’s argument is absurd.

i) A: Did you hear Jason’s presentation on the importance of protecting the property rights
of even those who are rich? His arguments are very powerful. What do you think?
B: I think his arguments have no substance. Jason is just a rich snob himself and I never
like him.

j) We will hire any male applicant who gets 70% of these questions correct. But for female
applicants, the threshold will be set at 80% since women often have to take care of their
children and they need to show that they are really competent at this job.

k) Capital punishment is justified for the horrible crimes of murder and kidnapping because it is
quite legitimate and appropriate that someone be put to death for having committed such
hateful and inhuman acts.

3) Does the following reasoning commit the fallacy of appeal to ignorance?

After trial, defense counsel says to the press: My client has not been proven beyond
reasonable doubt to have committed murder. Therefore, my client is innocent.

4) Correlation does not imply causation. Suppose the following correlations obtain. Identify two
different causal explanations for each of them.
a) Children who have breakfast perform better at school.

b) People who consume organic food are less likely to suffer depression.