LSAT Practice Test

Which fallacy relies on the opinion of an authority to determine truth?

1. strawman

2. loaded question

3. begging the question

4. appeal to authority

The correct answer is: appeal to authority

The correct answer is D, appeal to authority. This fallacy occurs when someone asserts a claim as true because an authority figure or expert believes it to be true, rather than providing evidence or valid reasoning to support the claim. This type of argument can be persuasive to some people, but it is not a logically sound way to establish the truth of a statement. In contrast, the other options are different fallacies: A. Strawman fallacy distorts an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack and refute. B. Loaded question fallacy is a question that contains a controversial assumption. C. Begging the question fallacy assumes the conclusion of an argument as a premise.