Ling 21: Language and Thinking Test 2 REVIEW

I. Write a complete definition of five terms, like the ones below (2 pts each, 10 pts total). 1. Logical fallacy 2. Begging the question 3. Scare tactics 4. Irrelevance 5. Appeal to ignorance

6. Questionable cause 7. Slippery slope 8. Positive relevance 9. Straw man 10. Inconsistency

II. Which fallacies of relevance are committed in the following arguments? Justify your answer. (4 pts each, 12 pts total). Note: The 11 fallacies of relevance: Personal attack; Attacking the motive; Look who’s talking; Two wrongs make a right; Scare tactics; Appeal to pity; Bandwagon argument; Straw man; Red herring; Equivocation; Begging the question. A. Dave Cortese: Police response times are ridiculous. A friend of mine was just stabbed by her husband and she died because it took the police 25 minutes to respond to the call. Do you want to be in a similar situation? If not, you should vote for me as mayor of San Jose. B. Everybody I know has seen the movie The Story of A Recycle Bin and so I suppose I should see it, too, even though I’m not that interested in seeing a movie about a recycle bin. C. You know, officer, I don’t know this city very well, and I was lost and late for a job interview, and that’s why I was going 110 mph down 880. I’m a woman traveling alone at night; you’re not going to give me a ticket, are you? III. Which fallacies of evidence are committed in the following arguments? Justify your answer. (4 pts each, 12 pts total). Note: The 9 fallacies of insufficient evidence: Inappropriate appeal to authority;

Appeal to ignorance; False alternatives; Loaded question; Questionable cause; Hasty generalization; Slippery slope; Weak analogy; Inconsistency.

A. Alex Trebek endorses Liberty Mutual life insurance, so I guess I’ll buy a policy from them. After all, Alex is the host of Jeopardy and that must mean he knows everything. B. Gypsies camped next to my soybean field last fall; my last soybean harvest was horrible. The gypsies must have put a curse on my field! C. Drinking Bud Light is like riding a bike; you just don’t want to do it.

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Ling 21: Language and Thinking Test 2 REVIEW

IV. For each passage, decide if it contains a fallacy, and identify the fallacy if it does. Remember, some passages may not contain fallacies. In addition, explain why you have analyzed the example either as a particular fallacy or as not containing a fallacy (4 pts each, 12 pts total). A. Don: I notice you drink a lot of coffee in Styrofoam cups. Each year Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups, and they're not biodegradable. Have you ever considered switching to a reusable coffee mug?

Joan: That’s a good point. And do you put the cans from the soda you drink in the recycle bin? Don: You’re right! I will start doing that today.

B. Fern: Children should be raised to respect rules and the rights of other persons. And

when they don’t, they should receive appropriate discipline. Vern: I strongly disagree with your callous—even sadistic—view. It is absolutely

sickening to read stories of children who suffer broken bones from parental beatings and who are burned with cigarettes by psychotic parents.

C. A couple of weeks ago, I received a chain letter that said bad luck would come my way if I did not send the letter on to at least 10 people I knew. I mumbled something about superstitious nonsense and threw the letter away. Bad move! The very next day I was attacked by a Rottweiler, got dumped by my girlfriend, and was fired from my job. Once is enough. You can bet that next time I get a chain letter I will do exactly what it says. V. Supply two conclusions to an argument with the following premise. The premise should be negatively relevant to the first conclusion and irrelevant to the second. Justify your answer (4 pts). Premise: The price of textbooks continues to rise.

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