Phil 120 Discussion Activity 2 Answer Key University of British Columbia PHIL 120
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Course
PHIL 120
Institution
PHIL 120
Practice Quiz 2 Answer Key
Determine whether each of the following contains an Ad Populum, Ad Verecundiam, or Ad
Misericordiam argument. If yes, determine further whether it involves a corresponding fallacy. Answer
Y (Yes) or N (No) in the corresponding blanks. For each Ad Populum fallacy indica...
Determine whether each of the following contains an Ad Populum, Ad Verecundiam, or Ad
Misericordiam argument. If yes, determine further whether it involves a corresponding fallacy. Answer
Y (Yes) or N (No) in the corresponding blanks. For each Ad Populum fallacy indicate which version of
the fallacy is involved (Popularity or Boosterism).
Question 1
Ninety percent of my constituents oppose the bill, so we may need to look more carefully at what may
be wrong with this proposal.
Ad Populum argument? [Y]
Ad Populum fallacy? [N]
Ad Verecundiam argument? [N]
Ad Verecundiam fallacy? [N]
Ad Misericordiam argument? [N]
Ad Misericordiam fallacy? [N]
Feedback: The proposed action is an advice to pay more careful attention to what may have been
overlooked in the original proposal, which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do.
(Compare: if the conclusion were something like “therefore, the proposal is plainly
wrong / an economic failure / a morally wrong thing to do”, that would clearly be a
fallacy.)
Question 2
“My fellow Americans… there has been some talk that the government is overstepping its bounds by
allowing police to enter peoples’ homes without the warrants traditionally required by the Constitution.
However, these are dangerous times and dangerous times require appropriate actions. I have in my
office thousands of letters from people who let me know, in no uncertain terms, that they heartily endorse
the war against crime in these United States. Because of this overwhelming approval, it is evident that
the police are doing the right thing.”
Ad Populum argument? [Y]
Ad Populum fallacy? [Y – Popularity]
Ad Verecundiam argument? [N]
Ad Verecundiam fallacy? [N]
Ad Misericordiam argument? [N]
Ad Misericordiam fallacy? [N]
Feedback: “It is evident that the police are doing the right thing” – this is the key here, and that
makes it a fallacy: whether or not this is right / wrong surely should be evaluated on
independent grounds.
Question 3
Sony. Ask anyone. [An advertising slogan]
Ad Populum argument? [Y]
Ad Populum fallacy? [Y – Boosterism]
Ad Verecundiam argument? [N]
Ad Verecundiam fallacy? [N]
Ad Misericordiam argument? [N]
Ad Misericordiam fallacy? [N]
Feedback: Note that this is not arguing from popularity, i.e., something like: since many people
choose it, that is why you should choose it, but the other way round: the product of
Sony is something so “elite” that this “eliteness” makes everybody choose it, thus
Boosterism rather than Popularity.
Question 4
“Those who say that astrology is not reliable are mistaken. The wisest men of history have all been
interested in astrology, and kings and queens of all ages have guided the affairs of nations by it.”
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