Question

The following passage contains an argument that commits at least one informal fallacy. Name the type of fallacy committed and explain why the passage is an example of that type.
That biscotti ought to be good—I used only the best ingredients in it.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) “That biscotti ought to be good – I’ve only used the best ingredients in it.”

The statement implies that simply because the ingredients are good, the biscotti must be equally delicious. However, when cooking there are other things to consider, for instance, cooking techniques, recipes, and correct ingredients added at the right time during preparation.

The statement tries to imply propositional logic. Basically, the sentence connects two elements in order to come to a logical conclusion, that is, good ingredients equal a good dish. However, the logic is flawed because all of the elements are not considered in the statement.

This is known as association fallacy. In other words, it is assumed that the dish will be gob because the ingredients associated with it are good. The problem here is that association is not an absolute indicator of a correct conclusion.