Question 1

Ad hominem

Accepted Answer

"Andrea Donnely has written several books arguing that pornography harms women. But Donnely is an ugly, bitter person, so she naturally believes pornography is bad."

Question 2

Ad populum

Accepted Answer

"Gay marriages are just immoral. 70% of Americans think so!"

Question 3

Appeal to false authority

Accepted Answer

"We should abolish the death penalty. Many respected people, such as actor Guy Gorgeous, have publicly stated their opposition to it."

Question 4

Appeal to emotion

Accepted Answer

"You know, Professor Smith, I really need to get an A in this class. I'd like to stop by during your office hours later to discuss my grade. I'll be in your building anyways, visiting my father. He's your dean, by the way. I'll see you later."

Question 5

Begging the question

Accepted Answer

"Active euthanasia is morally acceptable. It is a decent, ethical thing to help another human being escape suffering through death."

Question 6

False analogy

Accepted Answer

"Employees are like nails. Just as nails must be hit in the head in order to make them work, so must employees."

Question 7

False dichotomy

Accepted Answer

"Caldwell Hall is in bad shape. Either we tear it down and put up a new building, or we continue to risk students' safety. Obviously we shouldn't risk anyone's safety, so we must tear the building down."

Question 8

Hasty generalization

Accepted Answer

"My roommate said her philosophy class was hard, and the one I'm in is hard, too. All philosophy classes must be hard!"

Question 9

Post hoc

Accepted Answer

"President Jones raised taxes, and then the rate of violent crime went up. Jones is responsible for the rise in crime."

Question 10

Red herring

Accepted Answer

"Grading this exam on a curve would be the most fair thing to do. After all, classes go more smoothly when the students and the professor are getting along well."

Question 11

Slippery Slope

Accepted Answer

"Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life. If we don't respect life, we are likely to be more and more tolerant of violent acts like war and murder. Soon our society will become a battlefield in which everyone constantly fears for their lives. It will be the end of civilization. To prevent this terrible consequence, we should make animal experimentation illegal right now."

Question 12

Slippery slope

Accepted Answer

"If I fail my swim test, I won't be able to graduate. If I don't graduate, I probably won't be able to get a good job, and I may very well end up doing temp work or flipping burgers for the next year."

Question 13

Straw Man

Accepted Answer

"People who think abortion should be banned have no respect for the rights of women. They treat them as nothing but baby-making machines. That's wrong. Women must have the right to choose."

Question 14

Tu quoque

Accepted Answer

"I won't accept your argument, because you used to smoke when you were my age. You did it, too!"

Question 15

Straw Man

Accepted Answer

Jill: I never said anything about cleaning them out every day. You just want to keep all your junk forever, which is just ridiculous.

Question 16

False analogy

Accepted Answer

Guns are like hammers—they're both tools with metal parts that could be used to kill someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to restrict the purchase of hammers—so restrictions on purchasing guns are equally ridiculous.

Question 17

False dichotomy

Accepted Answer

Senator Jill: Well, either we cut funding, or we live with a huge deficit, and we can't live with the deficit.

Question 18

Ad populum

Accepted Answer

Bill says that he likes the idea that people should work for their welfare when they can. His friends laugh at him, accuse him of being a fascist, and threaten to exclude him from their group. He decides to change his position to avoid rejection.

Question 19

Hasty generalization

Accepted Answer

Sam is riding her bike in her home town in Maine, minding her own business. A pick-up truck comes up behind her and the driver starts beeping his horn and then tries to force her off the road. As he goes by, the driver yells, "Get on the sidewalk where you belong!" Sam sees that the truck has Ohio plates and concludes that all Ohio drivers are jerks.

Question 20

Appeal to emotion

Accepted Answer

The new UltraSkinny diet will make you feel great. No longer be troubled by your weight. Enjoy the admiring stares of the opposite sex. Revel in your new freedom from fat. You will know true happiness if you try our diet!

Question 21

Slippery Slope

Accepted Answer

We've got to stop them from banning pornography. Once they start banning one form of literature, they will never stop. Next thing you know, they will be burning all the books!

Question 22

Appeal to false authority

Accepted Answer

Sally: Certainly, he is a certified Californian Psychic Dude. I mean, like, who else would know what my lucky numbers are?

Question 23

Red herring

Accepted Answer

Argument for making grad school requirements stricter: "I think there is great merit in making the requirements stricter for the graduate students. I recommend that you support it, too. After all, we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries affected."

Question 24

False dichotomy

Accepted Answer

Look, you are going to have to make up your mind. Either you decide that you can afford this car, or you decide you are going be stuck at home every day.

Question 25

Tu quoque

Accepted Answer

Bill&#58; How can you say you care about working families? You have had several mistresses!

Question 26

Post hoc

Accepted Answer

I hadn't been winning any races this season. Then my girlfriend gave me a sweet Speedo, and I won my next three races. This suit must be good luck...if I keep on wearing it I can't help but win!

Question 27

Ad populum

Accepted Answer

You know, I've begun to think that there is some merit in the Republican's tax cut plan. I suggest that you come up with something like it, because if we Democrats are going to survive as a party, we have to show that we are as tough-minded as the Republicans, since that is what the public wants.

Question 28

Hasty Generalization

Accepted Answer

Bill&#58; My girlfriends have all been disasters&#44; probably because they all hate men.

Question 29

Post Hoc

Accepted Answer

Bill purchases a new laptop and it works fine for months. He then buys and installs a new piece of software. The next time he starts up his laptop, it freezes. Bill concludes that the software must be the cause of the freeze.

Question 30

Appeal to emotion

Accepted Answer

You shouldn't say such things about sexual harassment! If the chair heard what you were saying, you would never receive tenure. So, you had just better learn to accept that it is simply wrong to speak out against it.

Question 31

Slippery Slope

Accepted Answer

We have to stop the tuition increase! The next thing you know, they'll be charging $80,000 a semester!

Question 32

Straw Man

Accepted Answer

Prof. Brown: I can't understand why you want to take away all our money, Jones. Jones: That's not what I said at all.

Question 33

Ad hominem

Accepted Answer

UFOs don't exist. Have you seen the people who claim to have seen them? Those people are all freaks!

Question 34

False Analogy

Accepted Answer

What's the big deal about the early pioneers killing a few Indians in order to settle the West? After all, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

Question 35

Appeal to emotion

Accepted Answer

The new PowerBlue computer gives you the power you need. If you buy one, people will envy your power. They will look up to you and wish they were just like you. You will know the true joy of power. BluePower.

Question 36

Slippery Slope

Accepted Answer

You can never give anyone a break. If you do, they'll walk all over you.

Question 37

Ad Hominem

Accepted Answer

Dave: Those don't count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is wrong. Further, you are just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say.

Question 38

Begging the question

Accepted Answer

If such actions were not illegal, then they would not be prohibited by the law.

Question 39

Post Hoc

Accepted Answer

Bill: This rap stuff is always telling the kids to kill cops, do drugs, and abuse women. That is all bad, and the kids today shouldn't be doing that sort of stuff. We ought to ban that music! You can't argue against the fact that social ills really picked up at the same time rap music got started.

Question 40

False analogy

Accepted Answer

Students should be allowed to look at their textbooks during examinations. After all, surgeons have X-rays to guide them during an operation; lawyers have briefs to guide them during a trial; carpenters have blueprints to guide them when they are building a house. Why, then, shouldn't students be allowed to look at their textbooks during an examination?

Question 41

Straw Man

Accepted Answer

Senator Williams says that we should not fund the attack submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like that.

Question 42

Begging the Question

Accepted Answer

Abstract art isn't really art. Those pictures and things don't represent anything.

Question 43

Appeal to False Authority

Accepted Answer

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the hit series "Gorgeous ER Doctors with Accents." You can take it from me that when you need a fast-acting, effective, and safe pain killer there is nothing better than OwieeStopper 2000. That is my considered medical opinion.

Question 44

Appeal to emotion

Accepted Answer

I don't think a Red Ryder BB rifle would make a good present for you. They are very dangerous and you'll shoot your eye out. Now, don't you agree that you should think of another gift idea?

Question 45

Tu quoque

Accepted Answer

Cliff's assertion that Joe is innocent is not to be believed as Cliff is a criminal himself.

Question 46

Post hoc

Accepted Answer

Jane gets a rather large wart on her finger. Based on a story her father told her, she cuts a potato in half, rubs it on the wart and then buries it under the light of a full moon. Over the next month her wart shrinks and eventually vanishes. Jane writes her father to tell him how right he was about the cure.

Question 47

Slippery slope

Accepted Answer

The US shouldn't get involved militarily in other countries. Once the government sends in a few troops, it will then send in thousands to die.

Question 48

Post hoc

Accepted Answer

I must have caught my illness from this cat scratch. When I was at my friend's two days ago, her cat scratched me, and now I have a fever.

Question 49

Ad hominem

Accepted Answer

In order to maintain a civil debate, I will not mention my opponent's drinking problem.

Question 50

Appeal to ignorance

Accepted Answer

Since there is no evidence against it, that drug must be safe.

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