Sue Gray: Logical Fallacy example

Press on topic: and fill your name in as I demonstrated.
Here is the format that I would like you to post your logical fallacy assignment.
Name the fallacy: give the example

• Slippery Slope: If people use face book, they will neglect their school work, If they neglect their school work they won’t learn the necessary skills to become successful in life, If they don’t learn the necessary skills to be successful in life they will end up living in poverty. If they end up living in poverty our government will need to provide programs to help them. In order to provide programs to help these people living in poverty the government will need to increase taxes. Therefore Facebook will eventually increase our taxes.

• Non Sequitor: (it doesn’t follow) Facebook is a social utility that helps people keep in touch. People post their pictures on face book. Face book can help you become a really good photographer.

• Appeal to Authority: Our founding fathers didn’t talk about facebook when they wrote the bill of rights. Therefore face book can’t be a good thing.

• Hasty Generalization: I know three girls that are addicted to facebook, therefore girls get addicted to facebook more than guys.

• Equivocation: My friend loves to draw his face all the time in his notebook. He calls his notebook his facebook. My friend’s mom doesn’t like facebook.

Please notice how I used the editing tools to bold the fallacy name, and how I highlighted each fallacy and used the bullet formatting tool. See if you can figure out how to do this too. This will be helpful as you continue to organize your thoughts and ideas on this forum.

Remember you can use examples from the past, things you find in the news, and examples in your day to day life. Please try not to copy each other. If someone has already posted an example, don't just borrow their idea and change the names. (This is one good reason you should try to post your answers early in the week.)

HAVE FUN!

1. "Those homeschoolers are Christians, so that means ALL homeschoolers are Christians."
-Hasty Generalization

2. "It's not fair that the rich people get to have everything! There are homesless, jobless, and
hungry people in the world. Tax the rich and give the money to the poor!"
-Appeal to Pity

3. "Everyone is going to see that R-rated movie, so it MUST be okay..."
-Appeal to Popularity

4. "Mrs. Gray said that girls are the best dancers in the world - So it must be true!"
-Appeal to Authority

5. "If Mike Heckle is elected president, then we will go to war. When we go to war, thousands of people will die. When they die they'll either go to heavan or hell. So if they burn in hell, it'll be all because of Mike Heckle - So vote for Mike Jeckle..."
-Slippery Slope

Appeal to Popularity
"All my friends have facebooks, so I should have one too."

Appeal to Authority
"Paris Hilton says to vote Democrat, so that's what I should do."

Hasty Generalization
"George Bush made some bad decisions as President, and he's a Republican, so all Republicans make bad decisions."

Straw Man
"Did you hear about the great grade Sarah got on her test?"
"I always knew you thought she was smarter than me!"

Appeal to Pity
"People think I'm wierd because I don't have a cell phone!"

ali_n.

Slippery Slope: If you tell the principle on me then I'll get paddled. If I get paddled it will go on my transcript. If it goes on my transcript I'll never get into a good college and I'll have to work at Mcdonalds all my life and be poor and not be able to get a house and no one will like me! So please don't tell the principle!
Non Sequitor: You should elect Obama to be president. After all he has big buff arms!
Appeal to Authority: Alexi Kovalchuck uses a warrior stick. I should use one too! (I'm not sure if this is a good example after all Kovalchuck is a 10Million$ per year professional and probably knows what he's using.)
Hasty Generalizations: Lots of players on the Capitals are Russians therefore the Capitals must all be Russians. (and *cough* should be banned from the NHL *cough*.)
Appeal to Popularity: Thousands of people are loving Sugar-Shine Shampoo! Buy your's today!

Appeal to Popularity- Everyone here is smoking, so its ok if I smoke too.
Appeal to Pity- We need to adopt that puppy, because he is all lonely and poor.
Slippery Slope- If we dont adopt that puppy, he will be homeless, then he will die, and it will all be our fault because we did not adopt him.
Hasty generalization- Those teenagers are doing drugs, so all teenagers do drugs.
Appeal to authority- Al Gore said that global warming exists, so global warming definitely exists.

Appeal to Popularity- None of my friends do their homework so it's fine if I don't do my homework.
Hasty Generalization- Lots pirates have eye patches, therefore all pirates have eye patches.
Slippery Slope- If we drive to the libary for information, then we will pollute the atmosphere, and if we pollute the atmosphere we will all die. So don't drive to the library.
Straw Man "You should spend some time away from the computer Bill." " Mom! There is no reason to make me stop using the computer forever!"
Non Sequitur- We went rafting last week, we had to paddle and paddle. It was really cold!

Hasty Generalization:

Those professors have glasses so therefore all professors have glasses.

Appeal to Authority:

Pastor Kerry said evangelism is good. Therefore all evangelism is good.

Slippery Slope:

Clocks can be switched to an incorrect time. When it's switched to an incorrect time, you can be late for work. When you're late for work, your boss will get extremely mad. When your boss is extremely mad, he'll fire you. Therefore clocks get you fired from your job.

Appeal to Pity:

We need to give people food & water otherwise its all our faults for them dying.

Non Sequitor:

The plate is clean therefore I'm hungry

Ad Hominem Attack:
George, "I believe that abortion is morally wrong."
Haley, "Of course you would say that, you're a priest."
George, "What about the arguments I gave to support my position?"
Haley, "Those don't count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is wrong. You're just an extension to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say."

Appeal to Autority:
Miley Cyrus says that a Democracy is the best form of government.

Appeal to Pity:
fifteen guys I know like guns, therefore every boy likes guns.

Appeal to Popularity
All my cool friends have military style clothes, so I deserve them too

Straw Man
Dentist- "Erin your teeth look amazing!"
(Erica sitting right beside her)
"are you saying mine look bad?"

Slippery Slope
If I walk out the door a spider could bite me. That spider might be a Black Widow. If a Black Widow bites me I'll die. So I won't walk out the door.

Appeal to Authority: My cousin goes to public school and has lots of homework therefore public schoolers have lots of homework

Appeal to Popularity: popular people have cellphones therefore I need a cellphone to be popular

Appeal to Pity: this poor homeless dog has nowhere to live so we need to give it a home

Appeal to Fear: Unless we pass the health-care bill people will die(this is not my personal opinion i just heard it)

Circular reasoning: if I drive the car, I will get into an accident. If I get into an accident, I will get seriously injured. if I get seriously injured, i will have to go to the hospital. If I go to the hospital, I will run up a huge expense, linger a few months and die. therefor I shouldn't drive the car.

False Dilemma: Either you play the game my way, or you dont play at all.

Hasty Generalization: Mark McGuire used sterionds in baseball. Therefore, all baseball players use steroids.

Non Sequitor: He has tears coming down from his face, so he must be sad.

Appleal to Authority: George Washington said that we should respect those with different religious backgrounds. Therefore, we should accept all religious beliefs.

Slippery Slope: I went hunting with my shoe untied. I tripped and fell and shot someone. The person died and I was found guilty of first degree murder. Now I am going to die. Therefore, if you go hunting with your shoe untied, you will die.

Appeal to popularity-All my friends have laptops therefore I need a laptop

Non sequitor-That man looks homeless, therefore he is homeless.

Hasty generalizations-Bill Gates, who is a billionaire, is giving away most of his money; therefore all billionaires give away their money.

Slippery slope-If I go to bed, I will fall asleep. If I fall asleep I will choke on my tongue. If I choke on my tongue I will die. Therefore if I go to bed I will die.

Straw man-Mom said to work in the yard. I don’t want to be outside all day.

Slippery Slope
"[if] once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination. Once begin upon this downward path, you never know where you are to stop. Many a man has dated his ruin from some murder or other that perhaps he thought little of at the time." - Thomas De Quincey, "Second Paper on Murder"

Appeal to force
"In any case, I know your phone number and I know where you live. Have I mentioned I am licensed to carry concealed weapons?"

ad populum
"Gay marriages are just immoral. 70% of Americans think so!" Even though I believe that gay marriages are immoral, I don't believe it because a lot of people think so.

Appeal to pity
"I know the exam is graded based on performance, but you should give me an A. My cat has been sick, my car broke down, and I've had a cold, so it was really hard for me to study!"

Equivocation
"Giving money to charity is the right thing to do. So charities have a right to our money."

Circular Reasoning:
Me: "I have to practice my marksmanship with a Minigun."
Mom :"Why do you have to practice my marksmanship with a Minigun?"
Me: "Because it will help me get better."
Mom: "How will it help you get better?"
Me: "By practicing."
I only wish I had a Minigun! =D =D=D

Appeal to Fear
Restaurant Owner: "You no lika da pizzas? I send over my cousin Tony for a little change a' mind. He maka you lika da pizzas."

Slippery Slope
If you put a expensive pen on a mailbox, it will fall, someone will pick it up, that someone will get hit by a bike, the accident will cause a bus driver to not pay attention to the road, someone crosses the street and they will get hit by the bus. Therefore if I put a pen on a mailbox someone will get hit by a bus.

Appeal to Pity
"Teacher, please give me a passing grade. If I don't pass, my dad says I can't leave the house for a month."

Hasty Generalization
"Southerners talk fast. I was just on the phone with one and he sure talked fast."

Equivocation
"Who did you pass on the road?" the King went on, holding out his hand to the Messenger for some hay.
"Nobody," said the Messenger. "Quite right," said the King. "This lady saw him too. So of course Nobody walks slower than you ."
I do my best," the Messenger said in a sullen tone. "I'm sure nobody walks much faster than I do!"
"He can't do that," said the King, "or else he'd have been here first!"

- Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll