Identify the flaw in the argument: “Shawna is not a serious academic; she spends all of her time listening to pop music and only reads one book per week. So, we should not believe the results of her research.”
Answer
This is an ad hominem flaw. Shawna may know how to have fun and maybe that even makes her unserious. But even if it does, we cannot use her lack of seriousness to prove that her research is unreliable. It is never okay to use a personal attack on someone to justify a conclusion about claims that person makes.
Want to receive daily LSAT practice delivered right into your inbox? Sign up here for our LSAT Question of the Day emails!
Related Posts
Search the Blog
Free LSAT Practice Account
Sign up for a free Blueprint LSAT account and get access to a free trial of the Self-Paced Course and a free practice LSAT with a detailed score report, mind-blowing analytics, and explanatory videos.
Learn More
Popular Posts
-
-
-
-
General LSAT Advice How to Get a 180 on the LSAT -
Entertainment Revisiting Elle's LSAT Journey from Legally Blonde