As You Practice - Week #08

 As you review our practice examples and prepare for this week's Online Quiz, keep the following in mind: 

 

BASICS

There is no new reading this week.  We are not learning any new Critical Thinking concepts.  So, this week's study routine is a modification of our regular routine:

  1. Review our past weeks' readings. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them.  
  2. Review the "As You Practice" notes. Identify confusing concepts and ask questions about them. 
  3. Review past weeks' Practice examples.  Identify confusing examples and ask questions about them
  4. Complete the week's practice examples.  Identify confusing examples and ask questions about them
  5. Repeat as helpful 
  6. Complete the week's required online quiz.  Identify confusing quiz examples and ask questions about them 

 

RECOGNIZING FALLACIES

You won't be learning any new fallacies this week.  However, you will see a new question.  Up until now, when asked to identify a fallacy, you've been asked if the argument commits a Fallacy a Language or you've been asked if the argument commits a Fallacy of Relevance.  This week you will be asked a new question:

  1. What fallacy does this passage commit?

 

FALLACIES

A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning.  As such, to call an argument fallacious is not to disagree with its conclusion.  Rather, it is to recognize a flawed reason.  It is to note that a premise fails to address the issue at hand. 

There are different types of fallacies.  There are different ways that a premise can fail to address its issue.  So far we've learned about Fallacies of Language and Fallacies of Relevance.  As such, when you are asked if an argument commits any fallacy, it can be any of the following fallacies of language or fallacies of relevance.  That's worth repeating:  when you're asked if an argument commits any fallacy, it can be any Fallacy of Language or Fallacy of Relevance:  

 

FALLACIES OF LANGUAGE

  1. Overgeneral
  2. Vague
  3. Weasel Word
  4. Vague Comparison
  5. Hyperbole
  6. Euphemism
  7. Ambiguity

 

FALLACIES OF RELEVANCE

  1. Personal Attack 
  2. Poisoning the Well 
  3. Guilt by Association 
  4. Attacking the Motive 
  5. Look Who's Talking 
  6. Two Wrongs Make a Right 
  7. Appeal to Tradition 
  8. Bandwagon Argument 
  9. Appeal to Novelty 
  10. Straw Man Misrepresentation