Anyone who believes in extraterrestrials

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct53% picked this

   Anyone who believes in unicorns believes in centaurs. But it has been demonstrated that there are no centaurs, so

   Why this is right

   If you believe in Unicorns, you believe Centaurs. Centaurs don’t exist. Thus, Unicorns don’t exist.

   Skill tested: Parallel Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   53%
2. B

   Not a Flaw1% picked this

   Anyone who believes in unicorns believes in centaurs. But you do not believe in centaurs, so you do

   This is valid logic. This avoids the belief vs. fact flaw of the original argument.

   1%
3. C

   Bad Premise Match / Bad Conclusion Match0% picked this

   Anyone who believes in unicorns believes in centaurs. But you do not believe in unicorns, so you do

   This doesn’t perform the belief vs. fact flaw of the original. And it doesn’t try to argue by contrapositive. It argues by way of illegal negation. Anyone who believes Unicorns, also believes Centaurs. You don’t believe Unicorns. Thus, you don’t believe Centaurs.

   0%
4. D

   Weak Premise Match / Weak Conclusion Match23% picked this

   Anyone who believes in unicorns believes in centaurs. But there is no good reason to believe in centaurs, so a belief in

   This does try to argue by contrapositive, and it does shift between belief and actuality, it’s using a different standard: whether there is/isn’t good reason for belief, whether a belief is/isn’t justified. The standards of the original argument were more black and white (refuted, false) Anyone who believes Unicorns, also believes Centaurs. No good evidence for Centaurs. Thus, no good evidence for Unicorns.

   23%
5. E

   Bad Premise Match / Bad Conclusion Match23% picked this

   Anyone who believes in unicorns believes in centaurs. But it has been conclusively proven that there is no such thing as a unicorn, so

   This doesn’t argue by contrapositive, it argues by illegal negation. Anyone who believes Unicorns, also believes Centaurs. Unicorns don’t exist. Thus, Centaurs don’t exist.

   23%