Fallacy Examples

Question 1

Fallacy of false dilemma

Answer 1

“Either you’re with us or you’re with the terrorists” (you could be neutral)

Question 2

Fallacy of equivocation

Answer 2

1. Taxes are a headache.
2. Painkillers take headaches away
   …painkillers take taxes away

Question 3

Fallacy of accident

Answer 3

1. Birds can fly
2. Penguins are birds
   …penguins can fly

Question 4

Argument from Authority

Answer 4

1. The pope says that only women go to heaven
2. The pope is an authority on religion
   …only women go to heaven

Question 5

Argument from false analogy

Answer 5

1. Cars cause more deaths than guns
2. We are banning guns
   …we should ban cars

Question 6

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer 6

1. The rooster always crows before the sun rises

…the rooster causes the sun to rise

Question 7

Circulus in probando

Answer 7

1. We know that god exists because the Bible says so

2. We know the Bible is true because God says so

Question 8

Slippery slope

Answer 8

If we legalize marijuana, then we will legalize all other drugs, and then crime will increase exponentially

Question 9

Straw man fallacy

Answer 9

1. If you believe that hunting is immoral

2. Then you must believe animals are more important than people

Question 10

Fallacy of the unrepresentative sample

Answer 10

My friend eats fast food every day and has no health issues, therefore fast food is not bad for you

Question 11

Argument from the converse

Answer 11

1. p->q
2. q
   …p
   (Assuming that a conditional is a biconditional)
3. If Jim is a cheater, then he sits in the back row
4. Jim sits in the back row
   …Jim is a cheater

Question 12

Argument from the inverse

Answer 12

1. If Jim is a cheater, then he sits in the back row
2. Jim is not a cheater
   …Jim does not sit in the back row