Logic and Ethics Flashcards

Which fallacy occurs when someone attacks the character of an opponent rather than addressing the argument itself?

Answer: Ad hominem

Ad hominem (Latin: 'against the person') redirects criticism from the argument to the person making it.

'Either you support this policy completely, or you are against all progress.' This statement commits which fallacy?

Answer: False dilemma

A false dilemma (false dichotomy) artificially limits options to two when more alternatives exist.

Which of the following is an example of a valid deductive argument?

Answer: All mammals are warm-blooded; whales are mammals; therefore whales are warm-blooded

The whale argument is valid because the conclusion follows necessarily from its universal premises.

The slippery slope fallacy wrongly assumes that:

Answer: One event will inevitably lead to extreme, often unwarranted consequences

A slippery slope argument leaps from one action to a chain of catastrophic outcomes without sufficient causal justification.

Which fallacy dismisses an argument based solely on the origin or source of the claim rather than its content?

Answer: Genetic fallacy

The genetic fallacy judges an argument's truth by its origin rather than by its logical merit.

A sound argument is one that is:

Answer: Valid and has true premises

Soundness requires both formal validity (the conclusion follows) and material truth (the premises are actually true).

'We have always done it this way' is a classic example of which fallacy?

Answer: Appeal to tradition

An appeal to tradition (argumentum ad antiquitatem) treats long-standing practice as sufficient justification for a claim.