Question

Passage A

Hume argued that we have no rational basis for believing in miracles. But think about all the many miracles of modern medicine that have improved human health and dramatically extended the average lifespan during this century! Hume was simply wrong.

Passage B

Most people will tell you that it is important for kids to go to school. But those people are wrong. The dictionary defines "kid" as denoting young goats. Surely, it is a bad idea to fill our schools with goats!

Passage C

This newspaper headline says, "Earliest chocolate use has been found in what is now U.S." But that can't be true: The cacao plant isn't native to North America, whereas it has been grown and harvested in Central and South America for nearly 2,000 years. Surely, the earliest use of chocolate occurred somewhere south of what is now the U.S.

Passage D

Minneapolis is north of St. Louis, and New Orleans is south of St. Louis. Therefore, New Orleans is south of Minneapolis.

Passage E

Police officers in this city swear an oath to "serve and protect" its citizens. Obviously, to "serve and protect" does not involve undue force or physical assault. So, the allegations that these police officers physically assaulted the defendant must be false.

Passage A,B,C,D,E: DOES/DOES NOT commit a fallacy. Specifically, it    DOES OR DOES NOT commit the fallacy of equivocation, and it DOES OR DOES NOT commit the fallacy of amphiboly.

Answer 1