PCO (F2F)
Saturday 11 February 2017
Please note you will be disqualified if you use the examples in this exercise as part of your
assignment or examination answers. You should develop your own examples. Changing a
colour, word or phrase in the examples provided below or in your guide, will also not be
accepted.
Unit 1: Exercises
1. Supply an example and explain each of the following fallacies.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
(5x2= 10)
Appeal to force
Coincidental correlation
Ad Hominem
Appeal to pity
Non Sequitur
2. Identify and explain the following fallacies.
(3x2=6)
a) Water extinguishes fire. Oxygen is part of water. Therefore, oxygen will extinguish fire.
b) The sun shines bright. You are my son. Be a son and shine bright in that meeting.
c) It’s easy to boost the levels of literacy in our country. We simply need to give a free book to
each person to read.
3. Indicate whether the following statements are True/False.
a) An argument is a statement that attempts to demonstrate the truth.
b) A single set of terms for each idea, will enable you to draw clear connections between your
premises and conclusions.
c) Ad Hominem is a Greek term which means attacking the argument.
d) This sentence is an example of Coincidental Correlation: My English lecturer told us last
week that Namibia will experience a huge economic increase this year.
e) Oversimplification is also known as a reductive fallacy.
4. Read the statements below and identify the fallacy. Explain why these statements are neither
rational nor valid arguments.
(5x3=15)
a) Rauna: “You should not drink so much, we are writing a test on Monday.”
Mennette: “Look who is talking. You’re an idiot anyway.”
b) My music teacher says that garlic and ginger is important for everyone. Therefore every
child should eat garlic and ginger to fight colds.
c) Cheating in a test is no big deal, many students get away with it.
d) Please reconsider the final mark. I won’t be able to graduate if I fail Maths.
e) Supervisor to employee: “Either you accept my proposal, or I will not support your upcoming
promotion”.
Answers
Please note you will be disqualified if you use the examples in this exercise as part of your
assignment or examination answers. You should develop your own examples. Changing a
colour, word or a phrase in the examples provided below or in your guide, will also not be
accepted. Please create your own ORIGINAL examples 
Question 1 [paraphrased]
a. The use of a position to force others to do something. E.g.
b. Making two things that are not related as if the one happened because of the other. E.g.
c. Attacking the person instead of the argument. E.g.
d. To make as if something bad will happen if not supported. E.g.
e. Draws an inference from premises that are not logically connected to it. E.g.
Question 2
a. Non Sequitur. Relate reason to water and oxygen.
b. Bad analogy. Relate reason to sun vs son.
c. Oversimplified. Relate reason to books vs ability to read.
3. Question 2 Fallacies
a)
True
b)
True
c)
False
d)
False
e)
True
4. Read the statements below and identify the fallacy. Explain why these statements are neither
rational nor valid arguments.
(5x3=15)
i.
Ad Hominem, this is not rational because Mennette is attacking Rauna as a person and not
the argument at hand.
ii.
Appeal to False Authority: The music teacher is not a health expert. The argument is not
valid since the music teacher is not a medic.
iii.
Appeal to Common Practice, it is not true that if everyone does something all the time then
it means it’s correct.
iv.
Appeal to Pity’, the student wants to ensure that the lecturer feels sorry for him/her even
they have failed the exam.
v.
Appeal to Force, the manager is giving the employee no room to maneuver because he
knows it is important for the employee to get promotion.