Review the flawed logical structures in the brief arguments provided below. Pair each argument with the abstract description that most accurately pinpoints its logical error.
- Any novel that wins the prestigious Vanguard Award must have a compelling narrative structure. Since The Sapphire Horizon has a deeply compelling narrative structure, it is assured to win the Vanguard Award.Treats a condition that is necessary to bring about a certain result as if it were sufficient to guarantee that result.
- Most of the planets in the newly discovered star system are gas giants, and most gas giants have extensive ring systems. Thus, some of the planets in the newly discovered star system must have extensive ring systems.Infers that some members of a first group must belong to a third group merely because most members of the first group belong to a second group and most members of the second group belong to the third.
- Corporations that offer comprehensive wellness programs consistently report lower employee turnover rates. Therefore, implementing a comprehensive wellness program will directly reduce a corporation's employee turnover.Takes an observed correlation between two phenomena to be sufficient evidence of a direct causal relationship, ignoring other possible explanations.
- Each plank of wood used to construct the custom bookshelf is incredibly lightweight. As a result, the fully assembled bookshelf will be incredibly lightweight.Illicitly presumes that a characteristic belonging to each individual component of a whole must necessarily apply to the whole itself.
Answer
The arguments logically pair with their respective abstract flaw descriptions.
Each argument perfectly models one specific archetype of logical fallacy. The novel argument exhibits an illegal reversal. The planets argument demonstrates quantifier overreach. The wellness program argument shows a correlation/causation error. The bookshelf argument illustrates the fallacy of composition.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Parallel Flaw