Which informal logical fallacy is committed in the following argument? ‘No one…
2022
Which informal logical fallacy is committed in the following argument? ‘No one has shown that aliens did not create the crop circles. Therefore, the crop circles must have been made by aliens.’
Answer: B. Appeal to Ignorance — ConceptAn appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam) occurs when a claim is treated as true merely because it has not been proved false, or as false…
- A.
Begging the question
- B.
Appeal to Ignorance
- C.
Fallacy of accident
- D.
Appeal to authority
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
An appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam) occurs when a claim is treated as true merely because it has not been proved false, or as false merely because it has not been proved true.
A missing disproof is not positive evidence for a claim; the person making the claim normally retains the burden of providing supporting reasons.
Application
The premise says only that no one has shown that aliens did not create the crop circles. The conclusion then converts that absence of disproof into the positive assertion that aliens created them.
Contrast
Begging the question would assume the conclusion within the premises; this argument instead relies on missing contrary evidence.
The fallacy of accident would misapply a general rule to an exceptional case; no such general rule is used here.
Appeal to authority would depend on an authority’s testimony or status; no authority is cited here.
Therefore, the argument commits the appeal to ignorance fallacy.