Group Activity Worksheet – Logical Fallacies

Group Member Names:

Select a group recorder to take notes on this page. Circle his or her name.
Select a group presenter to present your answers to the class. Underline his or her name.

Instructions: Identify the type of fallacy (or explain the flaw in logic) for each of the following
statements.

1. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it fall, does it make a sound? Modern
science says, “Yes, for there are vibrations in the air even if no humans are nearby.” But this is
easily refuted. Sound is something heard. That’s really quite obvious when you think about it.
So, if no one was there to hear the sound, there was no sound.

2. I fail to see why hunting should be considered cruel when it gives tremendous pleasure to many
people and employment to even more.

3. A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who
characterize themselves as intellectuals.

4. High retail prices are beneficial, for they stimulate employment, increase agricultural production,
and stimulate the development of new products.

5. Free trade will be good for this country. The reason is patently clear. Isn’t it obvious that
unrestricted commercial relations will bestow on all sections of this nation the benefits which
result when there is an unimpeded flow of goods between countries?
 Logical Fallacies Handout

Type Definition Example

False Analogy X has property Y. Z is like X. Z therefore has property Y. Pens help you write. A drinking straw looks
like a pen. Therefore, drinking straws can help
you write.
Evading Burden of Proof The party whose standpoint has been questioned must The youth of today are, by nature, lazy.
prove that it is acceptable, but does not do so.
Simplification The series of actual causes for an event are either reduced School violence has gone up and academic
or multiplied to the point where there is no longer a performance has gone down ever since kickball
genuine, causal connection between the alleged causes and was banned at public schools. Therefore,
the actual effect. kickball should be reintroduced, resulting in
school improvement.
Non Sequitur It does not follow. Steven Johnson grew up in poverty. Therefore,
he will make a fine President of the United
States.
Either-Or The claim presents an artificial range of choices. You’re either with us, or you’re against us.
Hasty Generalization The scope of evidence is too small to support the Fred, the Australian, stole my wallet. Thus, all
conclusion. Australians are thieves.
Double Standard A set of principles permits greater opportunity or liberty to These rules don’t apply to me since I am older
one than to another. than you.
Poisoning the Well Discredit what a person might later claim by presenting Before turning the floor over to my opponent, I
unfavorable information about the person. ask you to remember that those who oppose my
plans do not have the best wishes of the
university at heart.
False Authority Use a biased, suspicious, or incredible source to defend a Claim: “Aliens must have landed at Area 51
conclusion. because the Mayor of Roswell says so.”
Warrant: Whatever the Mayor says is true.
Loaded Language A word or phrase is “loaded” when it has a secondary, That beast of a penguin may just carelessly kill
evaluative meaning in addition to its primary, descriptive its offspring.
meaning.
Red Herring Topic A is under discussion. Topic B is introduced under We admit that this measure is popular. But we
the guise of being relevant to topic A (when topic B is also urge you to note that there are so many
actually not relevant to topic A). Topic A is abandoned. bond issues on this ballot that the whole thing
is getting ridiculous.
Bandwagon Effect A and B believe, so C need not test belief. Others tolerate racism. Therefore, it’s okay for
me to tolerate racism.
Circular Reasoning The argument relies on a premise that says the same thing Active euthanasia is morally acceptable. It is a
as the conclusion. decent, ethical thing to help another human
being escape suffering through death.
Flattery A person attempts to compliment or flatter another in order Your history seminar was the best class I had
to get her to accept the truth of a proposition. all semester, Professor Smith. I stopped by
today in order to discuss my grade.
Slippery Slope Event X has occurred (or will or might occur). Therefore, We’ve got to stop them from banning alcohol.
event Y will inevitably happen. Once they start banning one form of beverage,
they will never stop. Next thing you know, they
will be banning soft drinks too!
Veiled Threat Threaten an opponent if they don’t agree with you. If you don’t believe we need curbside recycling
in this city, you could mysteriously disappear.
Ad Hominem Attack a person’s habits, personality, morals, or character. His argument must be false because he swears
and has bad breath.
Faulty Causality The assumption that because one event follows another, The administration closed the smoking court in
the second necessarily causes the first. our office at the end of last year, and layoffs
have decreased this year; therefore, closing the
smoking court caused a reduction in layoffs.
Straw Man A person simply ignores a person’s actual position and Senator Jones says that we should not fund the
substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented attack submarine program. I disagree entirely.
version of that position. I can’t understand why he wants to leave us
defenseless like that.