Introduction to Logic.

Section One: Identify the following fallacies of Relevance andexplain how the fallacy is committed.

1. These poor children have no parents to give them Christmaspresents, cook them Christmas Dinner, or to give them Christmascandy. Without help they will be out on the street homeless, cold,and desperate .If you can you should give money to our charity tohelp prevent this horrible human tragedy.

  

2. Richard Cheney thought it was appropriate to ask energyexecutives what energy policy the country should pursue, but ofcourse he would he was an energy executive himself.

  

3. You should never point a gun at a person, because it is rudeto point.

  

4. You children stop fighting in the back seat, or I am going topull the car over and make you wish I had not.  

5. Four of five Americans believe that Honda builds the bestcar, therefore Honda builds the best car.  

6. Dennis Rodman is not a basketball player who is an asset tohis team. After all, he is a sex-crazed, undisciplined,foul-mouthed, self-centered, transvestite, who has slept withMadonna. .

7. Barack Obama’s tax plan would involve taking money from therich through taxes, and giving it to the poor through tax relief.If we were to do this then there would less a need for privatecharities, so people would give less money to charities. Butcharities allow people to do good works. So if Barack Obama’s planis passed the moral values of Americans would decline.

8. Barack Obama’s tax plan would involve redistributing wealthand redistributing wealth is a key tenet of socialism. But we haveshown in the Soviet Union that socialism failed, so Barack Obama’stax plan won’t work.

Section Two : Identify the following fallacies of DefectiveInduction and explain how the fallacies arecommitted.                                                                                                                                                       

9. Newt Gingrich endorses this brand of underwear; it must bethe best brand of underwear

10. The defendant has no alibi; no one saw him at home asleepwhen the crime was committed, there are no phone records to provehe was at home, and no neighbors saw him at home. We can onlyconclude that he was at the crime scene.

11.. I have smoked my whole life and never been sick a day,therefore smoking does not injure anyone’s health.  

12. Whenever I wear Brut cologne during finals I ace myexams.

  

Section Three: Identify the following fallacies of Presumptionand explain how the fallacies arecommitted.        

13. Linebacker is a position which requires a big, quick player.Therefore Sam Mill should not be playing linebacker since he is notbig or quick

  

14. John Elway is the best quarterback in the NFL, because thebest quarterback in the NFL is John Elway.  

15. Is your drinking problem under control yet?  

Section Four: Identify these fallacies of Ambiguity and explainhow the fallacies arecommitted.                                   

  16. The offensive line of the Panthers average 310lb., therefore the center weighs 310 lb.

17. As Grandpa cut the turkey the juice came out running.

18. Rich people can afford to pay more for food which is whytheir deserts are so rich.

19. MacDonalds pays each of its workers a small amount,therefore the overall size of McDonalds’ payroll is small.

  

20. You should not beat your children.