"Professor Khan says the treatment works, and he is a famous surgeon, so it must work." This argument relies on
Correct answer: B. an appeal to authority rather than to evidence
- A. statistical evidence
- B. an appeal to authority rather than to evidence
- C. a controlled experiment
- D. a personal attack
Explanation
Expertise makes a claim worth listening to but does not by itself make it true, and the argument offers no data at all. An appeal to authority becomes especially weak when the authority speaks outside their field or when experts disagree. Attacking the person instead would be the opposite fallacy, ad hominem.
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About Critical Thinking
Critical thinking examines how conclusions follow from evidence, including claims, assumptions, arguments, inferences and relevant facts. Questions ask you to identify hidden assumptions, distinguish strong from weak evidence, assess cause and effect, recognise common reasoning errors, and decide which statement strengthens or weakens an argument.
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