Team members:

STT H và tên ID
1 T c Minh 2312280039
2 Trn Chin Thng
3 Lê Anh Tú
4 Nguyn Minh c 2312280803
5 Trn Minh Khôi
6 Lã Công Thành

Unit 8- Are there any fallacies in the reasoning?

Identify the fallacies in the following cases. Sometimes there is no fallacy at all.

1. Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy

magazine, has argued against censorship of pornogra
But Hefner is an immature, self-indulgent millionaire

- Ad hominem

The main issue is whether we should censor pornography, but instead of giving reas
saying

that he is “an immature, self-indulgent” person. Such pe

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2.
Millions of innocent people died in Stalin’s ruthless ideological purges. Clearly,
Stalin was one of the most brutal dictators of the twentieth century.

- Slippery Slope NO fallacy

- The reason is relevant to the conclusion.
3. Doctor:
You should quit smoking.
Patient: Look who’s talking! I’ll quit when you do, Dr. Smokestack!
- Ad hominem
4.
I admit my son Billy can’t run, pass, kick, catch, block, or tackle, but he deserves

If he doesn’t make the team, he’s going to be an emotional wreck, and he m

- Appeal to sympathy/pity Either-or-fallacy

5.

Girls, this state championship is the biggest game of your lives. This is what you’v

- No fallacy
6. All the really cool kids at East Jefferson High School smoke cigarettes
. Therefore, you should, too.

- Appeal to popularity

Assumption: If something is done by other kids, it should be the right thing to do. H

7.
Pete has argued that the New York Yankees are a better baseball team than the A
. But the Braves aren’t a bad team. They have a grea

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 . Obviously, Pete doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

- Red herringAd hominem

- The main argument is whether the

New York Yankees are a better baseball team than the Atlanta B

8.
Critics have accused my administration of doing too little to save the family farm.

I know what it’s like to get up at the crac

, and those who criticize my farm policie

- Red herring
- Appeal to emotion
-
The main issue: whether his administration is doing enough to save the family farm.

-
The speaker changes that issue into whether he knows about farm work, which is irrelevant.

9. School superintendent Kate Duncan has argued that c

hildren in public schools sh

But it’s wrong to allow

teachers to indoctrinate children with their own religious views.
Duncan’s argument must be firmly rejected.

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 - Strawman ( main argument >< distorted argument)
10.
If we don’t dramatically increase defense spending, the Chinese will soon surpas

And, if the Chinese surpass us as a military power,

- Slippery Slope
11.
Judges make the decision to return children to an abusive home once the Departm

most judges are incompetent to make a decision

. I have watched
three cases in which judges in Pawhuska [Oklahoma] have allowed access of their
o abusive parents. (letter to the editor, Tulsa World)
- No fallacy
hasty generalization ( three cases that the speaker knows may not be repr

12. Nobody would buy a car without first taking it for a test drive.
Why then shouldn’t two mature high school j

- Red Herring
Similarity: we want to test whether something works

Differences: the consequences of living together before marriage are more serious (u

False analogy