11.5: Chapter Exercises

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Chapter Exercises

The task in this exercise set is to spot any of the fallacies we have studied thus far. To make things more interesting, it may be that some passages do not commit any fallacy at all. Identify any fallacies by name, then explain in your own, detailed words what is wrong with the reasoning in those cases where it is flawed. Some fallacies from earlier chapters may appear here.

We can never bring complete peace to countries like Albania. There has been ethnic strife there for centuries. We can’t undo all that damage. So, we should just stay out of it.

2. Alice: Derrick and I both endorse allowing prayer in public schools, don’t we Burt?

Derrick: I never said any such thing.

Alice: Hey, I didn’t know you were one of those atheist types.

This is one argument I’m going to win. My point is very simple. Either OU will win their division of the Big 12 outright (outright means that they win it without a tie) or else they won’t.”
If the prosecution fails to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty, then we ought to find the defendant not guilty. So, we should indeed return a verdict of not guilty, since the prosecution has failed to offer convincing proof of the defendant’s guilt.
Either we allow abortion or we force children to be raised by parents who don’t want them.
We must not legalize marijuana. The legalization of marijuana would mean that it would not be a criminal act to possess marijuana. But certainly, it is, and must remain, a criminal act to possess an illegal drug like marijuana. So, we should oppose legalizing it.
The views of those who favor the mandatory use of seat belts are ridiculous. They claim that if everyone is required by law to wear seat belts when riding in a car, then there will be no more automobile fatalities, and that serious automobile injuries will be eliminated. But that is a ridiculous view. For clearly some auto accidents are so bad than even the best seat belts would not prevent injury or death. So, it is silly to have a law requiring the use of seat belts.
Almost every advertisement you see is obviously designed, in some way or another, to fool the customer: the print that they don’t want you to read is small; the statements are written in an obscure way. It is obvious to anybody that the product is not being presented in a scientific and balanced way. Therefore, in the selling business, there’s a lack of integrity. — Richard P. Feynman

9. Burt: Unless we construct a dam and a power plant in this area within the next ten years, we won’t be able to meet the

significantly growing demand for electrical power.

Wilbur: What you’re saying is that you couldn’t care less what happens to the plant life and wildlife in this area, or even to human lives that might

be dislocated by building the dam.

When you are buying a new car battery, it’s hard to know which battery you should choose. But remember one thing: Chuck Yeager says that AC Delco batteries are the best you can buy. And Chuck Yeager is one of the greatest test pilots of all time.
Abortion shouldn’t be allowed, because there is no place where you can draw a line between the fetus being a person and it not being one.

12. Reporter to participant in a cow-chip throwing contest: “Why would anyone want to throw pieces of dried cow dung?”

Contestant: “Well, it beats the hell out of standing around holding them.”

This piece of legislation is designed to exploit the poor. After all, it was written and sponsored by one of the richest people in the state.

Answer

Either/or fallacy. This passage presents us with only two alternatives: either we can bring complete peace or we should just stay out. It is fallacious because it overlooks various intermediate possibilities. For example, we might be able to stop a good deal of the murder of innocent people, even if we can’t stop all of it.
This passage doesn’t contain a complete argument, but what Alice says does suggest that she is committing the either/or fallacy. She claims, in effect, that either you support prayer in public schools or else you are an atheist. Also, it probably attacks a straw man.
The speaker asserts that a disjunction (and “either/or”) sentence is true. In this case, there really are only two options: either OU wins their division outright or else they won’t (if they tie for first, then they don’t win outright). There is no either/or fallacy here.
No fallacy.
Either/or fallacy. Presents only two alternatives, when in fact there are several more.