LAVC Fallacies in Philosophy & Ad Hominem Fallacy Analysis

part I. Identify 5 fallacies from material from Chapter 6 from media or from your life, where either one was used on you, or you used one on someone else. Refer only to devices that were covered in the associated chat: a. scare tactics b. Argument from pity c. Apple Polishing d. Guilt trip e. Wishful thinking f. Red herring/smokescreen g. Appeal to popularity h. Appeal to common practice i. Appeal to tradition j. Rationalization k. Two wrongs make a right

first define/explain the fallacy (in your own words), and then give an actual example and a brief explanation of the example; and also try to find examples other than the ones from our course material/notes

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

part II. Complete exercise

6-1

and

6-2

. Please answer the questions from 6-1 and 6-2 that appear here on assignment 4, and not the version that is in the textbook. I have removed some questions from the version that is in the textbook. Include the original passage with the answer.

Identify any fallacies present and briefly explain your answer.

the answers to these will be released on July 11

6-1

1. The tax system in this country is unfair and ridiculous! Just ask anyone!

2. Overheard: “Hmmmm. Nice day. Think I’ll go catch some rays.” “Says here in this magazine that doing that sort of thing is guaranteed to get you a case of skin cancer.” “Yeah, I’ve heard that, too. I think it’s a bunch of baloney, personally. If that were true, you wouldn’t be able to do anything—no tubing, skiing, nothing. You wouldn’t even be able to just plain lie out in the sun. Ugh!”

3. I’ve come before you to ask that you rehire Professor Johnson. I realize that Mr. Johnson does not have a Ph.D., and l am aware that he has yet to publish his first article. But Mr. Johnson is over forty now, and he has a wife and two high-school-aged children to support. It will be very difficult for him to find another teaching job at his age, I’1n sure you will agree.

4. JUAN: But, Dad, I like Horace. Why shouldn’t I room with him, anyway?

JUAN’S DAD: Because I’ll cut off your allowance, that’s why!

5. That snake has markings like a coral snake. Coral snakes are deadly poisonous, so you’d better leave it alone!

6. HE: Tell you what. Let’s get some ice cream for a change. Sunrise Creamery has the best—let’s go there.

SHE: Not that old dump! What makes you think their ice cream is so good, anyway?

HE: Because it is. Besides, that old guy who owns it never gets any business anymore. Every time I go by the place, I see him in there all alone, just staring out the window, waiting for a customer. He can’t help it that he’s in such an awful location. I’m sure he couldn’t afford to move.

7. “Listen, Ruth, we’ve been together three years now and you just can’t decide to break up with me just like that. Why do you say you don’t care for me anymore? After all, you are the only decent thing in my life, and if you leave, I’ll just be absolutely miserable; I’ve cried until I don’t have any tears left.”

8. “Jim, I’m very disappointed you felt it necessary to talk to the media about the problems here in the department. When you join the FBI, you join a family, and you shouldn’t want to embarrass your family.”

9. ” Listen, Steve lives in a huge house, drives an expensive car, and makes twice the money you do. You’re never going to live like he does unless you cut some corners.”

10. A fictitious western governor: “Yes, I have indeed accepted $550,000 in campaign contributions from power companies. But as I stand here before you, I can guarantee you that not one dime of that money has affected any decision I’ve made. I make decisions based on data, not on donors.”

6-2

1. DEMOCRAT: What do you think of your party’s new plan for Social Security?

REPUBLICAN: I think it is pretty good, as a matter of fact.

DEMOCRAT: Oh? And why is that?

REPUBLICAN: Because you Democrats haven’t even offered a plan, that’s why!

2. FRED: I think we should just buy the new truck and call it a business expense so we can write it off on our taxes.

ETHEL: I don’t know, Fred. That sounds like cheating to me. We wouldn’t really use the truck very much in the business, you know.

FRED: Oh, don’t worry about it. This kind of thing is done all the time.

3. A fictitious western governor: “Yes, I have indeed accepted $550,000 in campaign contributions from power companies. But as I stand here before you, I can guarantee you that not one dime of that money has affected any decision I’ve made. I make decisions based on data, not on donors.”

4. They finally passed the immigration law. Did you see the latest poll? It says that over two-thirds of Americans believe it’s going to solve the immigration problem once and for all. It’s about time they did the right thing in Congress.

5. REPORTER COKIE ROBERTS: Mr. Cheney, aside from the legal issues that stem from the various United Nations resolutions, isn’t there an overriding moral dimension to the suffering of so many Kurdish people in Iraq?

DICK CHENEY: Well, we recognize that’s a tragic situation, Cokie, but there are tragic situations occurring all over the world.

6. I’m going to use the textbook that’s on reserve in the library. I’ll have to spend more time on the campus, but it’s sure better than shelling out over a hundred bucks for one book.

7. The animal rights people shouldn’t pick on rodeos about animal treatment. If they’d come out and see the clowns put smiles on kids’ faces and see horses buck off the cowboys and hear the crowd go “ooh” and “ahh” at the bull riding, why, then, they’d change their minds.

8. You know, Selina, I’ve been thinking lately that we’ve been putting away money for our retirement for quite a while now, and since the economy seems to be recovering from the recession, I think we’re going to be in pretty good shape when we’re ready to retire—we’ll at least have enough to get by. Meanwhile, I’ve been looking at these new Ford trucks, and they really come with everything these days, even GPS and satellite radio. And if we put a portion of our income toward purchase of a new truck, it would be a sort of investment in the future itself, you know?

9. What’s wrong with socialism? I’ll tell you what’s wrong with socialism. Americans don’t like it, is what’s wrong with socialism.

10. Should I spend time doing more of these logic exercises when I could be outside playing golf? Well, one thing is for sure. Doing one or two more exercises won’t make a difference to my grade, but playing golf will make a difference to my health.