If I Argue That Something Is True Because a Majority

question 131

Multiple Choice

If I argue that something is true because a majority of experts on that subject say that it is true, have I committed the fallacy of appeal to majority?

• A)Yes, because I have used a majority opinion to support my conclusion.
• B)Yes, because I have not offered any evidence to support my conclusion.
• C)No, because the majority opinion of experts is evidence for the truth of my conclusion.
• D)No, because there are probably very few experts on my subject, so I'm not really appealing to the opinion of a large group of people.
• E)No, because majorities of experts are always right.

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Definitions:

Benzene Sulfonic Acid

A compound with a sulfonic acid group attached to a benzene ring, used in the production of detergents.

Dibromobenzene

Dibromobenzene refers to any of the compounds containing a benzene ring substituted with two bromine atoms, known in three isomeric forms.

Intermediate Carbocation

A positively charged carbon species that appears as a transient structure during some chemical reactions.

Aromatic

Refers to compounds that have a special stability due to the structure of alternating double and single bonds forming rings.