As You Practice - Week #14

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

 

INTRODUCTION

During this week, you'll be fine-tuning your ability to evaluate arguments.  You'll be addressing a new question:

  1.  What fallacy of 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.  This semester we've learned about Fallacies of Language, Fallacies of Relevance, and Fallacies of Evidence.  As such, if you are asked if an argument commits any fallacy, it can be any of the following fallacies of language, fallacies of relevance, or fallacies of evidence:  

 

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 

 

FALLACIES OF EVIDENCE

  1.  Appeal to Ignorance 
  2.  Slippery Slope 
  3.  False Alternative 
  4.  Hasty Generalization 
  5.  Questionable Cause