'No one has ever been able to prove that glaciers in the arctic region are…
2023
'No one has ever been able to prove that glaciers in the arctic region are melting because of global warming. Therefore, glaciers in the arctic region must be melting on their own.' Which fallacy is committed in the above statement?
Answer: D. Appeal to Ignorance — ConceptAn appeal to ignorance treats the absence of proof for a claim as proof against it, or the absence of proof against a claim as proof for it. A lack of…
- A.
Fallacy of Accident
- B.
Slippery Slope
- C.
Hasty Generalisation
- D.
Appeal to Ignorance
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
An appeal to ignorance treats the absence of proof for a claim as proof against it, or the absence of proof against a claim as proof for it. A lack of established evidence does not by itself establish the opposite explanation.
Application
The statement begins from the claim that human-caused melting has not been proved. It then treats that alleged lack of proof as sufficient support for the alternative claim that the glaciers must be melting on their own. The conclusion therefore relies on ignorance of proof rather than positive evidence.
Contrast
Fallacy of Accident applies a general rule to an exceptional case without allowing for relevant qualifications.
Slippery Slope predicts an unsupported chain of increasingly serious consequences from an initial step.
Hasty Generalisation draws a broad conclusion from too small or unrepresentative a sample.
Appeal to Ignorance uses the absence of proof as if it proved the opposing claim.
Cross-check
Removing the phrase about nobody being able to prove the first explanation removes the argument’s only stated support for the conclusion. This confirms that the reasoning depends on an appeal to ignorance. The answer is Appeal to Ignorance.