Here are 100 examples of the fallacies discussed in this chapter.

* Match each
item to one or more of the following categories ( 1 câu có thể nhiều đáp án)
a. argumentum ad hominem (công kích cá nhân)
b. straw man (bóp méo or phóng đại)
c. false dilemma (song luận VD: 1 là học 2 là ra khỏi nhà)
d. misplacing the burden of proof
e. begging the question
f. appeal to emotion
g. irrelevant conclusion

Hà Kiều Anh 1 - 25
1. Save your money. Nothing will make your teeth perfectly white.false dilemma
2. Jane complains because she doesn’t like the way I clean. Of course, she wants to be
able to eat off the floor. straw man
3. Don’t read The New York Times. It’s filled with liberal propaganda. argumentum ad
hominem
4. Limbaugh! That pompous windbag. You can’t believe what he says about climate
science argumentum ad hominem
5. If you don’t support same-sex marriage, then you are a homophobe who hates
gays.false dilemma
6. It isn’t guns that need controlling. It’s people who need controlling! Guns don’t kill
people; people kill people! I get furious when I hear people miss this point! appeal to
emotion
7. SKEPTIC: Why is Genesis the only acceptable account of how the world came to
be?
BELIEVER: Show me an explanation that makes more sense. misplacing the
burden of proof
8. The prices at Starbucks? A rip-off. I get better coffee at McDonald’s irrelevant
conclusion
9. I’m telling you, something was holding me in bed in the middle of the night. I didn’t
see or hear anything, but there were hands—or something—on my chest and
stomach pushing me into the bed. You can’t convince me it wasn’t something
supernatural doing it misplacing the burden of proof
10. Acid indigestion, if untreated, might burn a hole in your stomach lining.
Get Pepcid AC. appeal to emotion
11. Not picking up after your dog is unsanitary, since it is so unhygienic. begging the
question
12. Baking powder is toxic. How could you doubt that? misplacing the burden of proof
13. We have every right to be late on the rent! Management won’t fix anything. The toilet
is leaking and the doorbell doesn’t work. They won’t even let us paint or keep a pet!
irrelevant conclusion
14. Don’t you get sick and tired of hearing her brag? I’ll bet she expects us to believe
her, too. argumentum ad hominem
15. BILL: Students these days are lazy and shiftless. They don’t care about learning.
 JILL: Are you just saying that, or do you have evidence?
BILL: Well, remember how hard we worked when we were students? irrelevant
conclusion
16. Portman says we ought to allow gays to marry, but he wouldn’t say that if his son
weren’t gay argumentum ad hominem
17. Obama did an excellent job, when you consider how the Republicans tried to destroy
him with endless attacks and ad hominem arguments irrelevant conclusion
18. Their proposal is 90 percent predictable, and 90 percent bad for the country. But
what would you expect, coming from Republicans.
19. BILL: Space aliens are real.
JILL: Oh, Bill, how can you say such a thing?
BILL: Because only space aliens would have the power to erase all evidence of their
existence. begging the question
20. Sure, it sounds good in theory, but curbing violence in movies doesn’t make sense.
It’s crazy to think they should only make movies for kids. straw man
21. If you don’t align yourself a little better with conservatism you might find yourself
facing a challenge come next primary. Just saying. appeal to emotion
22. He wants to lower the drinking age? Forget about that. He owns a liquor store.
argumentum ad hominem
23. ANTI-GUN PERSON: Most homicides are committed with guns that were originally
purchased legally. misplacing the burden of proof
GUN PERSON: Where did you hear that?
ANTI-GUN PERSON: Where did you hear they weren’t?
24. How could God have created the world if God didn’t exist? begging the question
25. Sure, a cruise would be nice, but we can’t spend every last cent on vacations. straw
man

Đào Quốc Việt 26 - 50

26. Honey, you are so understanding. Would you do the dishes this once? (Appeal to
emotion)
27. The Democrats say they want the government to help all Americans.
Translation: They want the government to run everything. (Straw man)
28. High-speed rail travel between here and St. Louis is something we should support,
unless you can explain to me why we shouldn’t. (Misplacing the burden of proof)
29. Vote for the new parking garage! If we don’t build it, people will have no place to
park. (Irrelevant conclusion)
30. “You can’t believe in all three religions, because that is the same as not believing in
any of them.” (Begging the question)
—The Life of Pi
31. Don’t bother listening. He’s just going to give us a bunch of emotional garbage. (Ad
hominem)
32. Look out there. See those people bent over those vegetables? Know how hot is it out
there? Know how many hours they put in? And are you aware that they have a
 special minimum wage, lower than anyone else’s? Are you still going to say they
take jobs away from citizens? (Appeal to emotion)
33. He wants to lower the drinking age? Since he is eighteen, I’m not surprised. (Straw
man)
34. You see what the vandals did to Sharp’s store over across the street? You need
protection from that. You need to buy a little “security insurance” from us, you know
what I’m saying? (Appeal to emotion)
35. Public schools are unfixable. Prove me wrong. (Misplacing the burden of proof)
36. You can’t possibly think pot is good for you, in view of how harmful it is. (Begging
the question)
37. The city council says the city needs a sales tax, but I don’t buy it. Look at all the stuff
they force down our throat—like, no plastic bags. Why, we can’t even cut down the
trees in our own backyards. They are after our hard-earned money and want to
spend it on art projects and other so-called civic enhancements. (Appeal to
emotion)
38. Your mom doesn’t even own a cell, and you listen to her when she tells you not to
text and drive? (Ad hominem)
39. We have been very frugal of late, so it is time to get a new car. (Irrelevant
conclusion)
40. Staring at the sun will hurt your eyes. If it weren’t for that, you could try it yourself
and find out. (Begging the question)
41. That’s ridiculous. Sounds like something Nancy Pelosi would say. (Ad hominem)
42. “Wholistic” or “holistic,” it doesn’t matter. The guy talking tonight probably believes in
crystals and pyramids. Totally New Age. I wouldn’t even go, let alone listen. (Ad
hominem)
43. FIRST GUY: I’m going to buy a new Mazda.
SECOND GUY: Hey, I think a Honda is a better deal.
FIRST GUY: What makes you think so?
SECOND GUY: What makes you think the Mazda is better? (Misplacing the
burden of proof)
44. The CEO of BlackBerry says iPhones are passé. That’s clearly false. He wouldn’t
say that if he worked for Apple (Ad hominem)
45. The Republican budget can’t be all bad, when you consider the Democrats haven’t
proposed a budget in years. (Irrelevant conclusion)
46. JILL: I think we need a little more accountability in public schools. There should be
sanctions for incompetent teachers.
BILL: Oh I see. Eliminate tenure, huh? (Straw man)
47. Ashley makes me so mad! Who does she think she is, trying to tell me what I can
do? If I want to play music loud, that’s my right! (Appeal to emotion)
48. Honey, I invested our savings in equities. I didn’t want to lose it all to inflation. (False
dilemma)
49. We don’t need to drill in the Santa Barbara Channel. It won’t solve our fuel problems,
and the ugly rigs will ruin the beauty of our pristine coast. (False dilemma)
50. This pamphlet is put out by the people who have been trying to suppress minority
voters. You won’t find a word of truth in it. (Ad hominem)

Phạm Linh Chi 51 - 75

51. You can’t believe that! That’s the kind of stuff you hear on Fox.
Appeal to emotion
52. JILL: I see that the editor of the newspaper is going to retire, which is a good thing,
because he has caused a lot of trouble for the Downtown Business Association.
BILL: I don’t know about that. The paper has made a lot of money under his
editorship.

53. We must honor the agreement, because it binds us.

Begging the question
54. Are you saying Candace’s voice is better than Amber’s? I disagree. You have to
factor in how Amber went through so many hardships — illness, abandoned as a
child. . . . Candace didn’t face anything like that.
Appeal to emotion
55. What, more shoes? C’mon, nobody needs a thousand pairs of shoes!
56. Bombing the despot’s airports won’t bring his reign to an end, so why do it?
Misplacing the burden of proof
57. Tell me this. If you aren’t losing your hearing, then how come you can’t hear so well?
Misplacing the burden of proof
58. Do I agree with Rand’s brand of conservatism? Not entirely. He isn’t doing himself
any favors by pushing those ideas.
Begging the question
59. He wants to raise the drinking age? Are you going to accept that coming from him?
Isn’t he the very same person who thinks we should legalize pot?
Ad hominem
60. You know, when you say things like that, I think you’ve been hanging out with the
Sierra Club or something.
Appeal to emotion
61. Class, when you fill out these student evaluations, I hope you remember how hard I
have tried.
Ad hominem
62. I used to think Mike Savage made a lot of sense. Then I found out he lied about his
background.
Ad hominem
63. SENATOR TED CRUZ: The question that I would pose to the senior senator from
California is: Would she deem it consistent with the Bill of Rights for Congress to
engage in the same endeavor that we are contemplating doing with the Second
Amendment in the context of the First or Fourth Amendment? Namely, would she
consider it constitutional for Congress to specify that the First Amendment shall
apply only to the following books and shall not apply to the books that Congress has
deemed outside the protection of the Bill of Rights?
 SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN: I’m not a sixth grader. Senator, I’ve been on this
committee for 20 years. I was a mayor for nine years. I walked in and I saw people
shot. I’ve looked at bodies that have been shot with these weapons. After 20 years,
I’ve been up close and personal to the Constitution. It’s fine if you want to lecture me
on the Constitution. I appreciate it. Just know I’ve been here for a long time. I passed
on [sic] a number of bills. I study the Constitution myself. I am reasonably well
educated, and I thank you for the lecture. Incidentally, this does not prohibit—you
used the word ”prohibit.” It exempts 2,271 weapons. Isn’t that enough for the people
in the United States?
Irrelevant conclusion
64. Estelle claims we should have the kids vaccinated, but that doesn’t persuade me,
since she works for Amgen or one of those other drug companies.
Ad hominem
65. Is the EPA trying to ruin the oil industry, or is it just plain incompetent?
False dilemma
66. You want to keep defense spending at current levels? What, you don’t think we
should be able to defend ourselves even from a place like Iceland?
Straw man + Appeal to emotion
67. I deserved to pass. I couldn’t have missed every question!
False dilemma
68. Either we increase troop strength, or the Taliban will overrun the country.
I know which I would choose.
False dilemma
69. Drink less? And why should I believe that coming from a chain smoker like you?
Ad hominem
70. Hey, Professor, do you give extra credit? I missed a few classes, but I want to major
in English. I love your class!
Appeal to emotion
71. Pryor’s diatribe against gun control is flat-out nonsense. He probably doesn’t believe
that stuff himself.
Begging the question
72. “Mark Pryor’s liberal record is out of touch with Arkansans, and it’s time to hold him
accountable. Mark Pryor stood with Obama on Obamacare, the failed stimulus, and
bailing out the Wall Street banks. While Arkansans have had to balance their
checkbooks, Mark Pryor has joined with the liberals in Washington to recklessly
spend our tax dollars on the Obama agenda.”
—Club for Growth President Chris Chocola
Ad hominem
73. “Only $100? Isn’t it worth more than that? We really need the money for our
daughter’s tuition.”
—A couple trying to sell a stove on Hardcore Pawn
Irrelevant conclusion
74. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you can’t trust this witness. Counsel for the
defense has not produced a shred of evidence that he is trustworthy.
 Begging the question
75. Drinking wine good for you? Where did that idea come from, Gallo?
Straw man

Nguyễn Mai Linh 76 - 100

76. Buy now while supplies last! (Appeal to emotion)
77. Forget those polls. They come from CBS. (Misplacing the burden of proof)
78. The War on Drugs has been a disaster. It has cost us billions and hasn’t reduced
drug use at all. Obviously the sane thing is to legalize drugs. (False dilemma)
79. That’s nuts. That’s just something someone like Ayn Rand would think. (Ad
hominem)
80. Armed guards in public schools? You think that’s a solution to gun violence? That’s
just something the NRA put out there. (Irrelevant conclusion)
81. Heidegger was a mean, thoughtless, self-serving man—an ex-Nazi.
He couldn’t have been a great philosopher. (Ad hominem)
82. I don’t like the idea of getting a second pet. We aren’t running a zoo. (Straw man)
83. Mold is the leading cause of illness in the home. Schedule an appointment with our
technicians now, for peace of mind. (Appeal to emotion)
84. Accept Jesus or rot in hell. (Ad hominem)
85. Aryan superiority is demonstrated, if a demonstration is even needed, by the
manifest inferiority of the other races. (Begging the question)
86. He thinks we should outlaw large ammunition clips. I don’t buy it at all, coming from
him. He also thinks we don’t need the police. (Straw man)
87. You can hardly eliminate all carbs from your diet, so there is no point going on a low-
carb diet. (Irrelevant conclusion)
88. All right. We have to decide who will be the final boss in this outfit. Clearly, the
person who invested the most money ought to have the final say, and I invested the
most. Therefore, I should have the final say. And since I have the final say, that’s
that. (Begging the question)
89. The president lied through his teeth all through the debate, and now he expects us to
agree with his ideas? (Straw man)
90. Cutting back on salt doesn’t sound like a good idea. A person has to eat some salt,
you know. (Straw man)
91. Not many people could appreciate the distinction, but I know it wasn’t lost on you.
(Appeal to emotion)
92. Terry will win the raffle. That girl has worked her fingers off putting this event
together! She and her three sick babies deserve it. (Appeal to emotion)
93. All this negative publicity has hurt the Boy Scouts. They deserve our support.
(Appeal to emotion)
94. Jackson is at least a hundred pounds overweight. He has a simple choice: Lose it, or
die. (Ad hominem)
95. The idea will never work. Of course, the mainstream media like it, but they are
known for their liberal bias. (Irrelevant conclusion)
96. Why raise taxes on the richest 3 percent? It would bring in only a fraction of the
revenue needed to balance the budget. (False dilemma)
97. Professor Stooler assigned two extra paragraphs to read. Dude thinks we don’t have
anything better to do. (Ad hominem)
98. The tax bill would derail the economic recovery. If you vote for it, many of your
supporters might have difficulty contributing to your campaign. (Appeal to emotion)
99. He is so full of himself, it’s disgusting. Don’t expect me to agree with him. (Ad
hominem)
100. She is trustworthy; after all, she swears she is, and you can’t doubt that.
(Appeal to emotion)