Fallacies of Weak Induction - Practice
Now that you have had an opportunity to consider all of the fallacies of weak induction, you should be able to distinguish each type of fallacy of weak induction from the others.
Consider the following argumentative passages, and indicate what type of fallacy best describes each passage. If the passage is not fallacious, choose "no fallacy."
Passage A
Seventeen local residents have been diagnosed with salmonella poisoning, and the only thing they have in common is that they recently purchased tomatoes from a vendor at the local farmer's market. It is likely that the vendor's tomatoes were the source of the salmonella bacteria.
Which of the following best describes the type of fallacy committed in Passage A?
Hasty generalization
No fallacy
False cause
Slippery slope
Weak analogy