Exercises
I D E N T I F Y I N G FA L L A C I E S
FALLACIES
Exercise I
Power lines cause cancer. I met a little boy
with cancer who lived just 20 miles from a
power line who looked into my eyes and
said, in his weak voice, Please do whatever
you can so that other kids wont have to go
through what I am going through. I urge
you to vote for this bill to tear down all
power lines and replace them with monkeys
on treadmills.
APPEAL TO EMOTION
Exercise 2
Homeopathy does work.
After all, Prince Charles
believes in it and uses it
himself!
APPEAL TO INAPPROPRIATE AUTHORITY
Exercise 3
My opponent suggests that
lowering taxes will be a good idea
-- this is coming from a woman who
eats a pint of Ben and Jerrys each
night!
ATTACK AGAINST THE PERSON
Exercise 4
To this very day (at the time of this
writing), science has been unable
to create life from non-life;
therefore, life must be a result of
divine intervention.
ARGUMENT FROM IGNORANCE
Exercise 5
I heard that the Catholic Church was
involved in a sex scandal cover-up.
Therefore, my 102 year-old Catholic
neighbor, who frequently attends
Church, is guilty as well!
DIVISION
Exercise 6
Buddy Burger has the greatest food in
town. Buddy Burger was voted #1 by
the local paper. Therefore, Phil, the
owner of Buddy Burger, should run for
President of the United States.
DISCONNECTED PREMISES
Exercise 7
"I should not pay a fine for reckless
driving. There are actual dangerous
criminals on the street, and the police
should be chasing them instead of
harassing a decent tax-paying citizen
like me."
IRRELEVANT CONCLUSION
Exercise 8
"Since hair always precedes the
growth of teeth in babies, the
growth of hair causes the
growth of teeth."
FALSE CAUSE
Exercise 9
The Bible clearly says, thou shall not bear
false witness, therefore, as a Christian, you
better answer the door and tell our drunk
neighbor with the shotgun, that his wife,
whom he is looking to kill, is hiding in our
basement, otherwise you are defying God
himself!
OVERZEALOUS APPLICATION OF A GENERAL RULE
Exercise 10
My father smoked four packs of
cigarettes a day since age fourteen and
lived until age sixty-nine. Therefore,
smoking really cant be that bad for
you.
HASTY GENERALIZATION
Exercise 11
Pvt. Joe Bowers: What are these electrolytes? Do you even
know?
Secretary of State: They're... what they use to make
Brawndo!
Pvt. Joe Bowers: But why do they use them to make
Brawndo?
Secretary of Defense: [raises hand after a pause] Because
Brawndo's got electrolytes.
CIRCULAR ARGUMENT
Exercise 12
How many school shootings should we
tolerate before we change the gun
laws?
COMPLEX QUESTION
Exercise 13
It is said that we have a good
understanding of our universe.
Therefore, we know exactly how it
began and exactly when.
AMBIGUITY
Exercise 14
Each brick in that building weighs less
than a pound. Therefore, the building
weighs less than a pound.
COMPOSITION
Exercise 15
Melvin: Boss, why do I have to wear this goofy-
looking hardhat?
Boss: It is state law; therefore, company policy. No
hat, no job.
ARGUMENT FROM FORCE
