Recommended Practice: Recognizing Fallacies Handout #2

Indicate the fallacy committed by each italicized and red passage:

1) Air is life. Buy Aunt Mimi's Air.

2) Aunt Mimi's is fresher. Buy Aunt Mimi's Air.

3) Aunt Mimi has been providing you air since your first breath. Buy Aunt Mimi's.

4) You'll feel reborn. Buy Aunt Mimi's Air.

5) Fran: I'm pretty sure she got sick from Aunt Mimi's Air.

Lenny: Why do you think that?

Fran: She got sick the day after she tried it.

6) Yes, I'm making a living selling air. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not like I'm hurting people.

7) Fran: Of course people will buy air.

Lenny: Why do you think that?

Fran: Because you can't prove they won't.

8) Fran: Most people would be willing to pay for air.

Lenny: Really think so?

Fran: Yeah, I'm pretty sure, because the dozen people we polled said they would.

9) Lenny: You should buy Aunt Mimi's air.

Fran: Why?

Lenny: It could reverse the aging process.

10) Fran: You should never buy bottled water.

Lenny: Why not?

Fran: That's just the first step. Next someone will try to sell you air.

11) You should try Karate. It's a life-changer.

12) I think you should try Jujitsu. Everyone I've asked said you'd like it.

13) No, really you should try Kalaripayattu. It's the world oldest martial art.

14) No way. You should try Sumo Wrestling. I know Clay is going to say you shouldn't; but that's because he wants you to take Judo with him.

15) You should try Judo. You might like it.

16) I noticed that Tracy tried Taekwondo after she saw a Taekwondo competition. So, I'm pretty sure that's why she tried it.

17) Mateo earned an Aikido orange belt within two years. Therefore, I'm pretty sure most people can.

18) Well, I think you shouldn't try Aikido; for you haven't given me a single good reason to try Aikido.

19) I didn't quit Aikido. I just decided I need a transition.

20) I don't see what's wrong with quitting Aikido. It's not like I'm hurting anyone.

21) I don't see what's wrong with taking a semester off from school. You did it when you went to college.

22) I don't see what's wrong with taking a year off from school. It's not like I'm dropping out for good.

23) There's nothing wrong with dropping a class. It's better than failing it.

24) I know Tess said you shouldn't drop your class; but ignore her, since she just wants someone to study with.

25) I know Tess said you shouldn't drop your Math class; but she's wrong; for she doesn't even like Math.

26) Manny hasn't given any good reasons to stay in your History class; so I say it's okay to drop it.

27) You didn't want to drop your Biology class until after Abby dropped it. Hence, I think it's safe to say that's why you dropped it.

28) If you drop your English 1A class now, you'll never be able to complete college. So you shouldn't drop it.

29) Oh, it's okay to drop one class every semester; for you might be glad you did.

30) It's okay to drop only half of my classes, since it's not as bad as dropping all of my classes.

31) Bakersfield, CA Assemblywoman Shannon Grove was right to say that the California drought was God's response to the state's abortion laws. The year after the state's lawmakers failed to restrict abortion further the state's drought started.

32) I don't care what you say, I slept soundly for nine hours because I got a Reiki massage yesterday. The night before the massage I woke up twice. But the night after my massage I slept nine hours without waking up once.

33) If California doesn't outlaw abortion in the next year, the state will never again see an inch of rain. So, if we want to do what's right, California should outlaw abortion.

34) If you ask me, you shouldn't vaccinate your child. Your child could become gravely ill after getting a vaccination.

35) I just think there's a choice. Either public schools don't teach evolution or Christians will end up homeschooling their kids; and it's better if Christians don't homeschool their kids; therefore public schools shouldn't teach evolution.

36) I think it's best to keep our child in a Waldorf school. Since it's either that or our child has to endure endless behavior problems in public schools.

37) Of course most atheists are cheating spouses. My cousin Vinny is an atheist and he's a cheating spouse.

38) Larry Craig was a conservative congressman who ended up getting caught having sex with another man. Mark Foley was another conservative congressman who got caught having a sex with other men. Therefore, I think it's safe to say most conservative congressmen have sex with other men.

39) Of course conservatives are Fascists. You haven't proven me wrong.

40) You haven't convinced me that liberals aren't Socialists. I think it's fair to say they are.

41) I know Haley thinks Monopoly is the best board game; but she's wrong. She's never even played Risk.

42) We should play Othello. Everyone thinks so.

43) Most people would like Minecraft; since I do.

44) The only reason Jerry plays Mahjong is because his wife plays it. He never played it before he got married.

45) You should try playing Grand Theft Auto. You might like it.

46) You can't give me a single good reason to play Chess. So, I say we should play Checkers.

47) Mary: Well, we could play Scrabble or we can do nothing all day; so I say we should play Scrabble.

Tess: Or we could play Qwirkle, Life, or one of the other 15 games we own.

Mary: What's your point?

48) We should play Twister. We haven't played that in a long time.

49) I didn't cheat at Candy Land; for I just ignored the rules.

50) I think you should try playing Sorry!, because it's just a prodigious experience.