Assignment 3

Fallacies in Logic
Meets course objective: Be able to recognize informal and conversational fallacies in logic;

Comments
A truly amazing number of statements and arguments fail because they are offered under a logical fallacy. Understanding the most common of these logical fallacies is of great value in evaluating the truth of many statements we hear on a daily basis.

As you will see by following the link below, there are many, many forms of logical fallacy. We will not engage all of them, but will rather focus on the most common.

Our objective will be to learn to recognize logical fallacies when we see them and hear them in the world around us. They are everywhere!

Assignment
Based on Dr. Michael Labossiere's excellent collection of logical fallacies, please begin to listen carefully to the statements and arguments you hear around you over the coming week.

You will find them in personal conversations, advertising, political speeches and statements, and in many areas of everyday life.

Based on your observation of life and media over approximately a one-week time span, please provide examples of each of the following logical fallacies: (Your submission should be based on real interactions, observations, and conversations from real life. Listen carefully to your environment, you will hear many logical fallacies. However, feel free to change the names and details as needed to preserve others' privacy.)

Ad Hominem
Appeal to Authority
Appeal to Belief (or Consequences of a Belief)
Appeal to Emotion (including Fear, Pity, Flattery, Novelty, Ridicule, Popularity)
Appeal to Tradition
Confusing Cause and Effect
Hasty Generalization
Red Herring
Slippery Slope
Spotlight