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Difficulty: MediumFlaw in the Reasoning

Match each flawed argument to the statement that most accurately describes the logical error committed in its reasoning.

  • A recent study found that people who regularly drink green tea are less likely to develop heart disease. Therefore, compounds in green tea must actively protect the heart.Concludes that one phenomenon causes another merely on the grounds that they are associated.
  • Our competitor's market share increased by 10%10\% this year, while our market share only increased by 5%5\%. Clearly, our competitor gained more new customers than we did.Fails to consider that a larger percentage increase does not necessarily correspond to a larger absolute increase.
  • To be eligible for the new city grant, a business must operate sustainably. The local bakery operates sustainably, so it will undoubtedly receive the city grant.Treats a condition that is required for a certain outcome as if it were enough to guarantee that outcome.
  • The professor argues that human beings are fundamentally free. But this is absurd, as almost everything we buy requires money, meaning nothing is truly free.Relies on the ambiguous use of a key term, shifting its meaning during the course of the argument.

Answer

The green tea argument matches the correlation/causation flaw; the market share argument matches the percentage versus number flaw; the city grant argument matches the necessary versus sufficient flaw; and the professor argument matches the equivocation flaw.
Each flawed argument exhibits one classic logical fallacy perfectly described by its corresponding abstract statement. Matching the structural error to the abstract description demonstrates an understanding of how distinct logical leaps operate across different contexts.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the 'green tea' argument to identify its premises and conclusion.
Identified that a statistical association is used to justify a definitive causal relationship.
Recognizing the gap between correlation and causation is a fundamental step in evaluating scientific or health-related arguments.
2
Examine the 'market share' argument's use of statistics.
Noted that 10%10\% and 5%5\% are relative values, but the conclusion makes a claim about absolute values (the raw number of new customers).
Percentage increases cannot determine absolute volume unless the original baseline totals are known.
3
Map the conditional logic in the 'city grant' argument.
Identified 'operate sustainably' as a necessary requirement for eligibility, which the author mistakenly treats as sufficient for actual receipt of the grant.
Understanding formal logic structures prevents confusing requirements with guarantees.
4
Evaluate the vocabulary used in the 'professor' argument.
Spotted that 'free' is used to mean philosophical autonomy in the premise, but monetary cost in the rebuttal.
Arguments must use key terms consistently to be structurally sound.

Key Concept

Identifying Common Logical Fallacies in Arguments
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Topics

Flaw in the Reasoning

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