EXERCISE 11: Inductive Circularities

Identify the fallacy that occurs in each passage.

These will be fallacies from the Circular Evidence category: Speculative Evidence, Anecdotal Evidence, Fishing for Data, and No True Scotsman.

 

1. In our study of the social skills of children adopted and raised by gay couples, we happened to notice that a surprising percentage of the girls in the study were named Judy. Apparently, for some reason, gays are particularly fond of that name.

answer

 

2. Poor people are poor because they are too lazy to look for work. If you looked up the statistics you would probably find that a lot of poor people are living on welfare, and aren't even looking for work.

answer

 

3. John McCain's refusal to support the government shutdown as a way to defund Obamacare proves that he's a RINO - Republican in name only.

answer

 

4. Smoking marijuana causes depression and dangerous behavior. Just look at that guy who threw himself off a ten story building while he was high on pot.

answer

 

5. No wonder our universities are corrupting our youth and destroying our culture. I bet if you took a survey of college teachers you'd find that over half of them are atheists.

answer

 

WELCOME                     EXPLANATION OF PRINCIPLES                                     TABLE OF FALLACIES                        EXERCISES                     INDEX