Recommended Practice: Types of Arguments Handout #1

Indicate the type of argument found in each italicized and red passage:

1) Some students are chemistry majors. Jan is a student. So, Jan is a chemistry major.

2) If Hal missed class, then he won’t understand deductive reasoning. So, he won’t understand deductive reasoning. For he missed class.

3) I’ve watched hundreds of commercials in my life; and most of them have included at least one fallacy. Therefore, I’m pretty sure the next commercial we see will, too.

4) Just hear me out. I’ve watched hundreds of commercials in my life; and most of them have included at least one fallacy. So, I’m pretty sure most commercials include at least one fallacy.

5) I’m telling you, I ended up paying over $8,000 to the I.R.S. this year. They withheld over $6,500 from my paychecks, and I paid an additional $1,800 when I submitted my taxes on April 15^th.

6) Of course Ivan is from Russia. Think about it. Either he’s from Russia or he’s from Poland; and he’s not from Poland.

7) Actually, President Bush’s tax cuts did create thousands of jobs in the U.S.A.. After all, there was an increase in U.S.A. jobs the year after his tax cuts.

8) Whenever there has been a health care proposition on the California ballot, Health Care insurance companies and Pharmaceutical companies spent millions of dollars to mislead voters. It’s safe to infer that they’ll do the same whenever California has another health care proposition.

9) The U.S.A. has a profit based healthcare system; and yet the country has the worst health statistics among industrial nations. There’s only one conclusion. The country has the worst healthcare statistics because it has a profit-based health care system.

10) I know this much: I studied 3 hours the night before Test #1 and the night before Test #2; and I earned an ‘A’ on Test #1; so I’m pretty sure I earned an ‘A’ on Test #2.

11) Studies have shown that when Squirrels nest in your home they tend to do damage to the wiring in the walls. So that squirrel that is in your wall will damage the wiring.

12) I know this much. I saw a squirrel go into the wall of my house. Since then I’ve repeatedly heard chirping in that same wall; and, of course, an electrical outlet in the same wall has stopped working. I think I’ve got good reasons to say a squirrel broke the outlet.

13) All rodents are a nuisance; and all squirrels are rodents; so all squirrels are a nuisance.

14) We sent an email to all 423 students from our high school graduating class; and 13 replied. 12 of them said they’d like to have a 10^th year high school reunion. I think it’s safe to say most of the students agree.

15) I’m telling you the reunion didn’t cover its expenses. 80 classmates paid $20 for tickets. That’s $1600. But the expenses were $2200.

16) It’s simple. If he had an affair with my sister and asked her to lie about it, then I shouldn’t believe his promises. I saw him with my sister and he lied about it. So I shouldn’t believe his promises.

17) Well, he is having an affair with my sister or they’re planning a surprise party for me; but, come on, they aren’t planning a surprise party for me. It follows that he’s having an affair with my sister.

18) Think about it this way. Some people who eat at Goji’s Kitchen are vegetarians. We know Michael ate there. So, I say he’s a vegetarian.

19) We know both Carla and Michael like to eat at Goji’s Kitchen. We also know Carla is a vegetarian. Therefore, I think Michael is, too.

20) We should eat at Goji's. Everyone thinks so.

21) My Netflix DVD plan costs $11.99 a month, and the Streaming plan costs $7.99 a month. So, taken together, my monthly Netflix plans cost $19.98.

22) Oh, I'm telling you, Vince will want to watch an action movie or a comedy. But I don't think he'll be in the mood for a comedy. So, he'll want to watch an action movie.

23) I’m pretty sure they watched Citizen Kane because Moe had to write that paper about the movie; for he wrote the paper the day after watching it.

24) If Nance is picking the movie, they’re going to watch Wizard of Oz again; but they’re not going to watch it again; so Nance isn’t picking the movie.

25) Well, Melvin and Patrick have watched The Godfather every month for the last 2 years. Therefore, it’s safe to say they’ll watch it again next month.

26) Anyone who watches Jaws and swims in the ocean the next day worries about sharks. Jenny watched Jaws yesterday and is swimming in the ocean today. I think it’s fair to say she’s worried about sharks.

27) I’m sure she liked Philadelphia; for Tom Hanks is in it; and he was in Forest Gump, and she liked it.

28) I’ve watched a dozen John Wayne movies; and all of them were westerns or war movies. Hence it’s safe to say all John Wayne movies are.

29) You've never watched a silent movie. So I say it's time to try one.

30) I know Marcus. He’s going to want to watch The Celluloid Closet or Birdcage; but we can’t find a copy of The Celluloid Closet. Therefore, he’s going to want to watch Birdcage.

31) Oh, the government shouldn't even regulate alcohol consumption. There are bigger problems out there, like cocaine and methamphetamine abuse.

32) You won’t be able to buy alcohol if you’re visiting Cobb County on a Sunday; but you’re not visiting it on a Sunday; so you will be able to buy alcohol when you visit.

33) Well, I knew either Cobb County or Henderson County have banned alcohol purchases on Christmas Day. Since we just found out Henderson County doesn’t ban it on Christmas Day, Cobb County must.

34) No California counties outlaw the purchase of alcohol on Sundays; and Butte County is in California. Therefore it’s safe to say Butte County doesn’t outlaw the purchase of alcohol on Sundays.

35) Senators, my proposed law would charge vineyards a mere $20 annual fee per acre. Since California has over 526,000 vineyard acres statewide, that means this proposal will produce $10,520,000 per year.

36) Well, it’s legal to grow marijuana in Jamaica; so it’s probably legal to grow it in most Caribbean countries.

37) Nephew- I’m telling you, uncle had a nervous breakdown only a week after he tried marijuana. Of course that’s what triggered his breakdown.

Niece- I heard it even can cause you to spontaneously combust.

Nephew- No, that’s LSD.

38) Both Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana; and Colorado has a Democratic governor; so I think Washington has a Democratic governor.

39) For the last year my grandmother has picketed a marijuana dispensary each Sunday morning. I think it’s safe to infer she’ll picket another dispensary this upcoming Sunday morning.

40) If that book is about Kerry Nation, then it’s about a 19^th century woman who traveled from town to town smashing bars with a hatchet; but it’s not about her. Hence it’s not about a 19^th century woman who would travel from town to town smashing bars with a hatchet.

41) My Aunt Hannah and Uncle Jim are racists. So is my cousin Tim. So I’m pretty sure most of my relatives are racists.

42) The only reason Uncle Jim stopped playing softball last year is because three African Americans joined the team. Think about it. He stopped playing a week after they joined; and then he re-joined the team this year after he heard they weren’t going to be playing.

43) My grandma doesn't understand racism; for she doesn't understand the difference between personally mediated racism and institutional racism.

44) Three Thanksgivings in a row my Aunt Hannah has made comments blaming some crime on Mexican immigrants. It’s safe to say she’ll do it again this Thanksgiving.

45) Really, Tim is uncomfortable around gay men. It’s simple. He’s one of my relatives; and all of my relatives are uncomfortable around gay men.

46) His entire life my Uncle George went to a movie only if it was an action movie starring a white male. Hence, I’m telling you that he never went to see the Denzel Washington movie Flight; for it’s not an action starring a white male.

47) Well, the only people in my family who would have said women enjoy sexist comments would have been my Uncle George or my cousin Tim; but Tim wasn’t around to make that comment at yesterday’s family dinner; so it must have been Uncle George.

48) Both Aunt Hannah and Uncle Jim are racists; and Hannah voted for George Wallace. Therefore, I’m guessing Jim did, too.

49) Speciesism is the presumption that all humans are unconditionally superior to all non-humans, and that this superiority justifies treating non-human animals differently than human. It is a form of discrimination that humans have not yet adequately recognized and addressed. Therefore, working to end speciesism is a just and noble cause.

50) Well, when you think about it, speciesism is like racism. In both both cases, moral superiority is based on an unjustifiable difference. Since we accept that racism is morally wrong, we should accept that speciesism is morally wrong.