Prepare: Read Chapter 7 of the textbook, and take notes. Make a selection from the fallacies that are explained in that chapter (Make sure to choose a fallacy from the textbook for this course and not from any other source. Also, do not stop at the first fallacy that you recognize since your knowledge of all fallacies will not only enhance your overall knowledge, it will also come in handy for the second discussion).
Reflect: Reflect on the fallacies that you have read and find the one that are committed the most. Think about how frequently you have committed the fallacy and what kinds of things tend to lead to them being committed.
Write: Present an example of an argument (or arguments) that you have made that commits that particular fallacy. Present the reasoning in standard form. Evaluate your argument (or arguments) by indicating the name of the fallacy that you committed and explaining why this argument is fallacious. What might you do to avoid committing that type of fallacy in the future? How might learning to avoid this fallacy benefit your life?
Example of what is expected:
The Fallacy I do every day, and I am not sure if I am the only one who heard this, but If I don't go over 9 MPH above the speed limit, I won't get a ticket. I have heard people also say five mph over you are safe as well. because a friend of mine who is a cop told me "One to nine you are fine, over nine your butt is mine." I have not got pulled over yet going nine over the speed limit, so I think I just assume that all cops think the same and don't want to deal with the paper work. In reality, I know it's not true, but I have not been stopped yet for it.
Premise 1: I can go 9 MPH over the speed limit and not get a ticket.
Premise 2: I have not been pulled over yet for going over.
Conclusion: Therefore, I can continue going nine over without getting a ticket.
The fallacy I will admit to but I am not proud of it that every time I hear of a terrorist attack; I always assume it is a radical Muslim terrorist. This might be from my five times of going to Iraq and having to deal with it first hand or the fact that the media covers it all the time. I even see it on regular T.V. shows. When the terrorist attack happened in Virginia, I assumed it was a Muslim before the whole story came out. Like I said I am not proud of it but it is how my mind works now.
Premise 1: There was a terrorist attack done by a radical Muslim.
Premise 2: All the violence I dealt with was done by radical Muslims.
Conclusion: Therefore, all terrorist attacks are done by radical Muslims.