Read the following claims and determine what logical fallacies they contain:
- A man who killed both of his grandmothers can consider himself rehabilitated on the grounds that he could not conceivably repeat his offense in the absence of any further grandmothers.
- Because we allow terminally ill patients to use heroin, we should allow everyone to use heroin.
- God must exist, because a godless society would be lawless and dangerous.
- I don't care if other people say you're [opinionated/boring/overbearing].
- In order to maintain a civil debate, I will not mention my opponent's drinking problem.
- My home in Florida is six inches above sea level. Therefore I am certain that global warming will not make the oceans rise by one foot.
- Senator Jones says that we should not fund the attack submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like that…
- Some say the sun rises in the east, some say it rises in the west; the truth lies probably somewhere in between.
- Taxation is theft.
- The declining life expectancy in the former Soviet Union is due to the failures of communism; however, the quite high infant mortality rate in the United States is not a failure of capitalism.
- The defendant in a murder trial must be found guilty, because otherwise husbands will be encouraged to murder their wives.
- Von Daniken's books about ancient astronauts are worthless because he is a convicted forger and embezzler.
- We must have a death penalty to discourage violent crime.
- When are we going to give the old folks of this country the pension they deserve? vs.When will we be able to afford a major increase in old age pensions?
Notice that despite the fallacies, each of these claims has its own logos, ethos, and pathos appeals.
Clames for this list were adopted from Don Lindsay's archive. You are welcome to browse for more.
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