Question
Answered step-by-step
MasterStraw8296
The following discussion about extraterrestrials contain informal…
The following discussion about extraterrestrials contain informal fallacies from the first 14; Fallacies of Relevance and Weak Induction.
Identify the informal fallacies in the following discussion. (Looking at sentences before and after a particular fill in the blank can aid you. Also, certain words or phrases can help you as well.)
“Hi! Glad that you could make it”, Ralph says to his friend Claudia, at a Friday night party. “Hey, you missed a great discussion that Tom, Rueben, and I were having about abduction by extraterrestrials”. Rueben just left, but he said he’s been reading this book by Whitley Strieber. I think it’s called Transformationin which Strieber describes being kidnapped by creatures from outer space.”
“Good grief! You don’t actually believe that nonsense, do you?’ Claudia asks incredulously.
Well, I don’t think that Strieber would lie. Also, Ruben told us an amazing personal story. He was camping a year ago, and after he’d a couple of six packs of Moosehead, he says that he saw a UFO. So I think that we have to conclude there really are UFOs.”{1.__________________}.
“What a joke!” Claudia asks scornfully. “Ruben was probably hallucinating. By the way, didn’t he fail most of his classes last semester? His parents are spending a fortune for his education, and all he does is party, sleep, and ignore his studies. I think that that is immoral. {2._____________________}. As for Strieber, does he give any evidence?”
“As a matter of fact, he does, “Ralph replies smugly. “Apparently, a few years ago, he was driving with his wife on some country road, when both of them experienced an unusual blackout. When they woke up, they were thirty five miles further down the road and they had no recollection of how they got there. They claim that extraterrestrials must have abducted them, then hypnotized them so they wouldn’t remember what had happened.” {3.___________________}.
“Oh yeah, now I remember who Strieber is,” answers Claudia, caustically. He’s that wierdo who dreams up all kinds of fantastic stories just so he can write books about them and makes lots of money. {4._____________________}. That guy, in my opinion is a sickie. I wouldn’t even consider his argument.” {5._____________________}.
“I think that you are prejudiced, “Ralph says. “Why recent surveys show that sixty four percent of the American public believe in UFOs, and the number is growing every day. Shouldn’t you be on board as well?” {6.______________________}.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Claudia mutters, shaking her head in disbelief. “I know that Strieber is a kook, “Claudia persists, “so all the other believers in UFO’s must be too.” {7._____________________}. “Next , you UFO people will be talking about little green men. Then you all will actually start claiming that little creatures are abducting people and experimenting on them. Before long they’ll be manipulating our genes and trying to infiltrate the human race. In the end, everyone will suspect everyone else of being an alien, mass terror will prevail, and civilization will collapse!” Claudia exclaims in mock horror. {8.____________________}.
“Don’t be a fool!” Ralph barks, irritated. “The problem with you is you’re always the skeptic.” Obviously, you’re viewpoint is that we should refuse to believe in anything we can’t clearly see or touch and also we shouldn’t believe in God or an immortal soul {9.________________________}. Tom, that’s what she’s saying, isn’t it?”
“More or less, “Tom agrees halfheartedly.
“Again, not at all, Claudia responds. “What I am saying is that people have to be just a little bit critical about what they believe. Apparently you believe any cockamanie story that comes your way. You’re just so gullible. If you keep it up, everyone and their dog will take you for a ride.”
” “Oh yeah? If I were you, I’d take a close look at my own beliefs”, Ralph gibes. “Didn’t I see you reading the astrology column just the other day {10._______________________}.
“Oh, shut up! says Claudia blushing. “I may read the astrology column, but I certainly don’t believe it. I just read for fun. But the fact is, during the past twenty five years there have been thousands of alleged sightings of UFOs, and not a single one has led to any solid evidence of their existence. What do you make of that?”
“I think that we should look at this situation the other way around, “Ralph says. Up until now, nobody has shown that UFO’s don’t exist, so I think that we should give those people who claim they have seen then the benefit of the doubt. We should believe in UFOs and extraterrestrials until the sightings are proven false {11._______________________}.
“Well, okay, let’s suppose, just for the sake of argument, that I admit the existence of UFOs and their little green pilots. How are we to respond to them? What are we supposed to do?” Claudia asks.
“For starters, we should extend an open invitation to them”, answers Ralph. “They may come from a dying planet where millions of their compatriots desperately struggle for survival. Their sun may be burning out, their water supply exhausted, and their soil poisoned with toxic chemicals. Surely they deserve a second chance on a new planet.” {12.______________________}.
“Maybe so,” Claudia says in a patronizing tone. “And now that you mention it, we probably have a legal obligation to let them in. Our current immigration laws say that we have to admit at least 10,000 applicants annually, from every major nation. If those aliens would just sign the right papers, we’d have to give them permanent residency too{13.________________________}. However, what worries me is, they may have the wrong intentions. After all, didn’t they conduct experiments on those people they abducted?”
“Yes, but don’t we experiment on animals? If the animals don’t complain, similarly, why should we? {14.___________________}. I’m certain that we have nothing to worry about,” says Ralph, proud of his logic. “Oh brother”, says Claudia, “Ralph, I think that it is time to go”. Don’t let any green men get you” “And you either,” Ralph answers.
