Informal Fallacies Exercises

The Top Ten Informal Fallacies

Directions: Work with a partner. Identify the informal fallacy illustrated by each argument (each fallacy is used only once). Provide a one- to two-sentence explanation. Write your answers on a one-half crosswise sheet of paper. Submit your work at the end of the period.

[1]

Environmentalists are continually harping about the dangers of nuclear power. Unfortunately, electricity is dangerous no matter where it comes from. Every year hundreds of people are electrocuted by accident. Since most of these accidents are caused by carelessness, they could be avoided if people would just exercise greater caution.

[2]

I believe in the Bible because it is the written word of God through his prophets. Obviously, God would not lie to his prophets. After all, the Bible says so.

[3]

It should be no surprise to you that if a Democrat is elected in the next presidential election that we will have one of the worst recessions in years. Recessions always seem to be created by Democratic administrations.

[4]

No mathematician has ever been able to demonstrate the truth of the variants of the Goldberg conjecture, so they cannot all be true.

[5]

Old man Brown claims that he saw a flying saucer in his farm, but he never got beyond the fourth grade in school and can hardly read or write. He is completely ignorant of what scientists have written on the subject, so his report cannot possibly be true.

[6]

The administration says we should install CCTV cameras all over the school for security reasons. The truth is they want to turn the school into “Big Brother.” What about our right to privacy?

[7]

The late Ely Culbertson, one of the world's outstanding bridge players, once declared that the United Nations as presently constituted has serious defects. He must be right because I don't think the opinion of a man of his caliber should be taken lightly.

[8]

The welfare program is totally unnecessary. Why, I know a guy who runs a very lucrative illegal gambling operation and drives his new Cadillac down every week to collect his welfare check.

[9]

You should turn to Channel 6. It's the most watched channel this year.

[10]

You will back up my story and tell the committee I am reasoning logically; because if you don't I will do everything in my power to see that you are fired.