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French logical fallacy quiz: false dilemmas, personal attacks and straw men

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Identify flawed reasoning in twelve short French exchanges, then choose fair reformulations that address the argument and its evidence.

In short

A false dilemma hides other choices; a personal attack substitutes a judgement about the speaker for an answer; a straw man attacks a distorted version of the proposal. Identify the exact claim before deciding whether the reply addresses it.

Three committee members discuss a proposal in a French town hall.
A débat deserves reasons that address the proposal. Illustration: Atelier
Three questions to ask
MoveWhat goes wrongA useful French response
False dilemmaTwo options are presented as the only possibilities.Existe-t-il une troisième voie ?
Personal attackThe person is criticised instead of the reasoning.Examinons plutôt les données avancées.
Straw manA limited proposal becomes an extreme position.Ce n’est pas ce que cette proposition prévoit.
Revenir au désaccord précis
  1. Lina

    Je propose d’évaluer le dispositif après six mois.

    I suggest evaluating the scheme after six months.

  2. Marc

    Donc, tu veux tout arrêter dès le premier problème.

    So you want to stop everything at the first problem.

  3. Lina

    Je propose une évaluation, pas un arrêt automatique.

    I am proposing an evaluation, not an automatic stop.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Which move does the reply make?— Réduisons la durée de la réunion. — Donc, tu veux supprimer tout échange entre collègues.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Un homme de paille.. Shortening a meeting becomes eliminating all discussion. The reply attacks a stronger claim that the first speaker never made.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    What is missing from this either/or?Soit nous approuvons ce projet tel quel, soit nous renonçons à toute amélioration.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    La preuve qu’aucune version modifiée n’est possible.. A revised project may be a third option. The speaker must establish that the alternatives really exhaust the choices.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Why is this reply a personal attack?— Le calcul comporte une erreur. — Tu es toujours désorganisé, ton avis ne compte pas.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Elle écarte l’objection en jugeant la personne.. Being disorganised does not settle whether this calculation contains an error. The objection still needs checking.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Choose a fair response to the proposal.Je propose de tester cette méthode dans un seul service.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Quels résultats permettraient d’évaluer ce test ?. The proposal concerns one trial. Asking how to assess its results keeps that limited scope intact.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Which reply opens the false dilemma?Ou nous doublons le budget, ou le service ferme.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Pourrions-nous ajuster les horaires ou répartir les dépenses ?. The reply introduces intermediate possibilities that the original statement leaves out. Their feasibility can then be examined.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Which criticism addresses the argument?Cette étude prouve que le dispositif fonctionne.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    L’étude compare-t-elle des groupes comparables ?. Comparable groups bear directly on what an evaluation can show. Voice and clothing do not address the inference.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Identify the distortion.— Limitons les messages professionnels le soir. — Vous voulez empêcher les salariés de communiquer.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Une limite horaire devient une interdiction générale.. The first speaker restricts evening work messages. The reply expands that into a ban on all communication.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Which reply avoids attacking the person?La porte-parole soutient que le délai est réaliste.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Quels moyens sont prévus pour respecter ce délai ?. Resources and the timetable are relevant to feasibility. Age alone and appearance leave the actual claim unanswered.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    When would the two-option argument be justified?Il ne reste que deux créneaux disponibles.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Quand le calendrier confirme que tous les autres sont pris.. A binary choice can be well founded when evidence rules out the other options. Two choices alone do not make a fallacy.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Choose the fairest reformulation.Nous devrions vérifier les résultats avant de généraliser la mesure.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Vous demandez une vérification avant une application plus large.. The reformulation preserves both the requested check and the order of actions, without adding a total rejection.

  11. Question 11No account needed
    What reasoning is missing?Cette proposition est mauvaise puisque son auteur est désagréable.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Un lien pertinent entre les défauts de la proposition et la conclusion.. The conclusion needs reasons about the proposal. Disliking its author supplies no assessment of its effects or design.

  12. Question 12No account needed
    Choose the response that repairs the exchange.— Ajoutons une étape de contrôle. — Vous voulez donc bloquer tout le processus.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Voyons combien de temps prendrait ce contrôle et quel risque il réduirait.. The reply returns to the actual added check and asks about costs and benefits. It neither exaggerates the proposal nor judges the speaker.

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