Reasoning

Logic and Fallacies

1,716 Questions

Understand the fundamentals of propositional logic, logical inference rules, and paradoxes. This set includes identifying logical fallacies, including those found in classical Nyaya logic. Strong grasp of these concepts is crucial for scoring well in the reasoning sections of competitive tests.

Propositional logic modelsLogical inference rulesTypes of logical fallaciesParadoxes and contingent truthsNyaya logic concepts

Logic and Fallacies Questions

Multiple choice

What is a priori reasoning?

  1. Reasoning that is based on evidence.

  2. Reasoning that is based on experience.

  3. Reasoning that is based on intuition.

  4. Reasoning that is based on logic.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A priori reasoning is reasoning that is based on logic.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a straw man fallacy?

  1. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  2. Attacking your opponent's character rather than their argument.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A straw man fallacy occurs when you misrepresent your opponent's argument in order to make it easier to attack. This can be done by exaggerating their claims, ignoring their qualifications, or simply changing the subject.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of an ad hominem fallacy?

  1. Attacking your opponent's character rather than their argument.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

An ad hominem fallacy occurs when you attack your opponent's character rather than their argument. This can be done by making personal insults, questioning their motives, or simply trying to discredit them.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a tu quoque fallacy?

  1. Responding to an accusation by pointing out that the accuser is also guilty of the same thing.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A tu quoque fallacy occurs when you respond to an accusation by pointing out that the accuser is also guilty of the same thing. This is a logical fallacy because it does not address the validity of the accusation itself.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a red herring fallacy?

  1. Introducing a new topic or argument that is irrelevant to the main point of the discussion.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A red herring fallacy occurs when you introduce a new topic or argument that is irrelevant to the main point of the discussion. This can be done in order to distract your opponent, confuse the issue, or simply avoid addressing the main point.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a circular argument?

  1. Assuming that the conclusion of an argument is true in order to prove the conclusion.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A circular argument occurs when you assume that the conclusion of an argument is true in order to prove the conclusion. This is a logical fallacy because it does not provide any new evidence to support the conclusion.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a slippery slope fallacy?

  1. Assuming that a small change will lead to a series of increasingly negative consequences.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A slippery slope fallacy occurs when you assume that a small change will lead to a series of increasingly negative consequences. This is a logical fallacy because it is not always the case that a small change will lead to a negative outcome.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a false dichotomy fallacy?

  1. Presenting only two options when there are actually more than two.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A false dichotomy fallacy occurs when you present only two options when there are actually more than two. This can be done in order to force your opponent to choose between two undesirable options or to make it seem like there is no other choice.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a begging the question fallacy?

  1. Assuming the conclusion of an argument in order to prove the conclusion.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A begging the question fallacy occurs when you assume the conclusion of an argument in order to prove the conclusion. This is a logical fallacy because it does not provide any new evidence to support the conclusion.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy?

  1. Assuming that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second event.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy occurs when you assume that because one event followed another, the first event caused the second event. This is a logical fallacy because there may be other factors that caused the second event.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a bandwagon fallacy?

  1. Assuming that something is true because everyone else believes it.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A bandwagon fallacy occurs when you assume that something is true because everyone else believes it. This is a logical fallacy because the popularity of an idea does not necessarily mean that it is true.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a non sequitur fallacy?

  1. Drawing a conclusion that does not follow logically from the premises.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A non sequitur fallacy occurs when you draw a conclusion that does not follow logically from the premises. This is a logical fallacy because the conclusion is not supported by the evidence.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a false cause fallacy?

  1. Assuming that one event caused another event without sufficient evidence.

  2. Assuming that your opponent's argument is weaker than it actually is.

  3. Ignoring evidence that contradicts your own position.

  4. Changing the subject of the argument to avoid addressing the main point.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A false cause fallacy occurs when you assume that one event caused another event without sufficient evidence. This is a logical fallacy because there may be other factors that caused the second event.

Multiple choice

What is Bayes' theorem?

  1. A formula that allows us to calculate the posterior probability of an event given new evidence.

  2. A formula that allows us to calculate the prior probability of an event.

  3. A formula that allows us to calculate the likelihood of an event.

  4. None of the above.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Bayes' theorem is a fundamental theorem in probability theory that provides a method for updating beliefs or knowledge in light of new evidence. It allows us to calculate the posterior probability of an event given new evidence, taking into account the prior probability of the event and the likelihood of the evidence given the event.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a quantificational ambiguity?

  1. The man has many books.

  2. The woman has few friends.

  3. The dog has no toys.

  4. The sun is shining.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence "The man has many books." is quantificational ambiguous because it is unclear how many books the man has. This is an example of a quantificational ambiguity.