Question Details

Identify the fallacy in the following:
"Only man has an immortal soul". No woman is a man. Therefore,
no woman has an immortal soul".

Options

A

Strawman

B

Equivocation

C

Red Herring

D

Bandwagon argument

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option B

Equivocation

Solution :

The correct option is Equivocation.

An equivocation fallacy occurs when a key term or phrase in an argument is used in two or more different senses or meanings, making the argument misleading or logically invalid.

In this argument, the word "man" is used equivocally (with two different definitions):
1. In the first premise, \"Only man has an immortal soul\", the word "man" is used in a generic sense to mean the entire human species (humanity/mankind).
2. In the second premise, \"No woman is a man\", the word "man" shifts its meaning to refer specifically to adult male humans as opposed to female humans.
3. The conclusion, \"Therefore, no woman has an immortal soul\", relies on this shift in meaning to make a false logical connection.

Because the argument conflates these two distinct meanings of the word "man", the reasoning is fallacious and constitutes the fallacy of equivocation.

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