Medium
Philosophy & Ideas
Thinkers & Big Questions
The philosophers worth knowing and what they actually argued.
Sample question
Start quiz
Which philosopher wrote "I think, therefore I am"?
Bad Arguments and Their Names
Most bad arguments fail in one of a small number of ways, and each way has a name worth knowing.
About this topic
A fallacy is not simply a claim you disagree with. It is a move in an argument that looks like support but is not, and the useful thing about the named ones is that they recur. Once you can spot a straw man, you notice it several times a week, usually in places that consider themselves careful. Two warnings come with the list. First, several named fallacies are only faults in certain contexts: attacking a person's credibility is fallacious in a debate about physics and entirely proper in cross-examination of a witness. Second, spotting a fallacy shows that a particular argument failed, not that its conclusion is false. Treating the label as a victory is itself a way of avoiding the question.
Questions & answers
Bad Arguments and Their Names: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
Play it insteadShow all answers and explanationsHide answers
-
1Attacking the person making a claim rather than the claim itself is which fallacy?
- A False dilemma
- B Ad hominem Correct
- C Straw man
- D Red herring
Answer: B. Ad hominem
Why: The Latin means "to the person". It is not always a fault, since a witness's honesty is genuinely part of what a court has to weigh.
-
2Misrepresenting an opponent's position so it is easier to knock down is called what?
- A A straw man Correct
- B A red herring
- C A slippery slope
- D An appeal to popularity
Answer: A. A straw man
Why: The opposite habit, restating an opponent's case in its strongest form before answering, has been nicknamed steelmanning. It tends to produce better arguments on both sides.
-
3Used strictly, "begging the question" means doing what?
- A Raising an obvious follow-up question
- B Refusing to answer a direct question
- C Answering a question with a question
- D Assuming the conclusion within the premises Correct
Answer: D. Assuming the conclusion within the premises
Why: The phrase is a clumsy translation of a Latin rendering of Aristotle. In ordinary speech it has drifted to mean "invites the question", which is why careful writers now avoid it entirely.
-
4Claiming something must be true because a great many people believe it is which fallacy?
- A Slippery slope
- B Circular definition
- C Appeal to popularity Correct
- D Appeal to authority
Answer: C. Appeal to popularity
Why: Its Latin name is argumentum ad populum. Any advertisement citing sales figures as proof of quality is running the same move.
-
5Presenting only two options when further ones exist is called what?
- A A hasty generalisation
- B A false dilemma Correct
- C A category error
- D An equivocation
Answer: B. A false dilemma
Why: It is also known as the either/or fallacy. It persuades because real dilemmas with only two options do genuinely occur.
-
6A slippery slope argument claims what?
- A That one step will lead inevitably to a chain of worse ones Correct
- B That two unrelated events share a cause
- C That a rule has no exceptions
- D That an opponent has changed position
Answer: A. That one step will lead inevitably to a chain of worse ones
Why: It becomes a legitimate argument the moment each link in the chain is defended rather than assumed. The fallacy is in the unexamined inevitability.
-
7Treating two things that occur together as though one caused the other is which error?
- A Equivocating on a key term
- B Appealing to tradition
- C Shifting the burden of proof
- D Confusing correlation with causation Correct
Answer: D. Confusing correlation with causation
Why: A related tag is post hoc ergo propter hoc, meaning "after this, therefore because of this". A third, hidden factor very often explains both of the things observed.
-
8An appeal to authority is weakest in which case?
- A When the authority is quoted second-hand
- B When the authority works for a university
- C When the authority cited is outside their own field Correct
- D When the authority is no longer alive
Answer: C. When the authority cited is outside their own field
Why: Citing genuine expertise is ordinary, reasonable evidence. The fault lies in borrowing prestige from someone with no standing on the actual question.
-
9The "no true Scotsman" move does what?
- A Rejects a claim because of its source
- B Redefines a term mid-argument to exclude a counterexample Correct
- C Substitutes a national stereotype for evidence
- D Appeals to an unwritten tradition
Answer: B. Redefines a term mid-argument to exclude a counterexample
Why: Antony Flew named it in the 1970s. The giveaway is a qualifier such as "true" or "real" that appears only after a counterexample has been produced.
-
10A red herring in an argument is what?
- A An irrelevance introduced to pull attention off the point Correct
- B A conclusion stated before the evidence
- C A claim that cannot be tested
- D An emotional appeal made in good faith
Answer: A. An irrelevance introduced to pull attention off the point
Why: The name comes from the idea of dragging a strong-smelling cured fish across a scent trail. It works because the distraction is usually interesting in its own right.
Frequently asked questions about Bad Arguments and Their Names
How many questions are in Bad Arguments and Their Names?
Bad Arguments and Their Names has 10 questions and takes about 6 minutes to finish. It is rated Medium and sits in our Philosophy & Ideas category.
How is Bad Arguments and Their Names scored?
Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to Bad Arguments and Their Names explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
Can I replay Bad Arguments and Their Names?
Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
QuizKite Quality Guarantee
Every quiz on QuizKite is researched, written and fact-checked by hand against reliable references, with an explanation for each answer. Read our full Editorial Policy to learn more about our content standards.
Keep going
More Philosophy & Ideas
Medium
Philosophy & Ideas
Thought Experiments and What They Show
Trolleys, caves, veils and demons — the imagined cases philosophers argue through.
Sample question
Start quiz
The trolley problem asks whether a person should do what?
Easy
Arts & Literature
Paint, Pages & Masterpieces
The paintings, novels and figures worth knowing by name.
Sample question
Start quiz
Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Easy
Language & Words
Words & Where They Come From
Roots, scripts and the names for things you already do with language.
Sample question
Start quiz
Which language has the most native speakers worldwide?
Medium
Architecture & Design
Buildings & The Ideas Behind Them
Landmark buildings and the styles you can spot from the street.
Sample question
Start quiz
In which city does the Eiffel Tower stand?
Easy
Fashion & Style
Cloth, Cut & Couture
The designers, fabrics and cities behind what people wear.
Sample question
Start quiz
Which designer is credited with popularising the "little black dress"?