"Mary Com's coaches say that she has a real gift for boxing. So because her skill is a gift, she doesn't deserve any credit for it." Which informal logical fallacy is committed in the above statement?

The correct answer is Equivocation. Key Points

• The statement is committing the fallacy of equivocation, where the term "gift" is being used in two different senses.
• In the first sentence, the term "gift" refers to Mary Com's natural ability or talent for boxing, while in the second sentence, it is being used to mean an undeserved or unearned advantage.
• This shift in meaning of the term "gift" creates confusion and misleads the reader into accepting the conclusion that Mary Com doesn't deserve credit for her skill, which is fallacious reasoning

Additional Information

1. Appeal to authority: This is a fallacy that occurs when an argument is presented with an authority figure's opinion as evidence. This fallacy assumes that the authority figure is always correct or that they are always an expert in the subject at hand.

2. Red herring: A red herring is a fallacy that occurs when an irrelevant topic is presented to divert attention from the original issue being discussed. This fallacy is often used to avoid addressing the main argument by changing the subject to something else.

3. Equivocation: This is a fallacy that occurs when a term or word is used in multiple ways, and the meaning of the term changes within the argument. This fallacy is used to mislead the audience or the opponent by changing the meaning of the term used.

4. Begging the question: This is a fallacy that occurs when the conclusion of an argument is assumed in one of the premises. This fallacy is often used to make an argument seem more convincing than it actually is.