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Logical Falasies

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Submitted By lilythnoir
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1. Mabel is not qualified to lead the school board because she used to drink in her 20’s. Mabel’s ability to lead would not be affected by drinking in her youth. These two facts are mutual exclusive to one another/
Creating false needs.

2. A child can either be an athlete or a good student.
Children can be both good at athletics and good at academics. There are many very intelligent well educated athletes. There are just as many athletically talented academics.
Either/Or

3. Any change in healthcare will lead to socialism; we don’t want to live in a socialist country, so we can’t reform health care in any way.
To say that reforming healthcare would completely change how society operates is a giant leap. There can be healthcare reform without creating a socialist United States.
Slippery Slope

4. All teenagers’ text while they drive, therefore we should raise the driving age to 21.
To say all teenagers is an inaccurate generalization. To raise the driving age to 21 would solve the problem of teen texting while driving is not logical.
Hasty Generalization

5. If we don’t all drive hybrid cars, the world will end in the next decade of environmental damage.
There is no evidence to support a claim that the world will end in 10 years if we do not all switch to hybrid vehicles. The statement goes straight to the most dramatic result conceivable however unlikely it is.
Slippery Slope

6. Senator Range has been seen entering a strip club; therefore his economic reforms are not plausible
Though perhaps immoral to some, such action has no bearing on the ability of the Senator to create plausible economic reform. One of these actions is part of personal life, the other is an action specific to professional life.
Red Herring

7. Everyone else is getting rid of TV therefore we should too.
The only argument presented is to do it because everyone else is doing it. This type of statement
Has no justification.
Band Wagon

8. Because of recent shootings in schools and theaters, we can conclude that these are inherently dangerous places that need more regulation.
The fact that shootings have occurred in theaters and schools does not indicate that they are dangerous place in and of themselves. To correlate the place of a random act of violence with a need to regulate the place does not make much sense.
Hasty Generalization

9. If you want a successful child, you should enroll them in as many early learning classes as possible.
Not all successful children have been enrolled in early learning classes. There are children who have been involved in early learning classes who have not been successful.
Creating false needs

10. Music education is useless because it just teaches kids how to play music.
The reasoning is the same as the statement. Music education does in fact teach more than how to play music.
Either/or

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