Complex or Loaded Question Fallacy | Middle and High School Homeschooling Logic/Argument video

The complex question fallacy is also known as asking a loaded question.

This fallacy attempts to persuade by manipulating an opponent into resigning part of their argument without debate.

The complex question fallacy is committed when two questions are required, but an arguer arbitrarily assumes part of the argument is concluded.

In this clip an atheist challenges apologist Ravi Zacharias with a question about free will, but first he makes the statement that “since the bible has been disproven”. This is a loaded question because is assumes that the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the Bible is settled. The atheist should have broken his comments into two separate questions. Then he could have debated on both Free will and the validity of the Bible.

During the 2020 Democratic Presidential debates Senator Bernie Sanders was asked if he had told Senator Elizabeth Warren that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency. Senator Sanders denied every saying it. CNN’s moderator Abby Philip did not allow the two senators to debate this point. She instead arbitrarily assumed this part of the argument was concluded, and then asked Senator Elizabeth Warren how it felt when Senator Sanders said the very thing he just denied saying.

The complex question fallacy is an argument that distracts by asking a loaded question.

[TheParentTeacherBridge]

Yikes....those comments fire me up. "Since we know....". I can't wait to study more on these topics with my oldest child.

[pauls]

Very nicely explained and great examples. A top quality analysis. Thank you for posting. Liked and subscribed.

[LivingWithEve]

Rachel and Toni said it all. So true.. lol Thanks for another great video.

[MommaonMission]

Your videos always get me riled up in a good way. Lol. It’s so rare to have good, fair, proper debate or discussion anymore!

[RussellsLovingLife]

I am learning so much from your videos! We are hearing a lot more of this.

[SevenInAll]

Ooooh, this is a cool one. I'd never seen the way people just throw their own claims into a question quite like this.

[SusanEvans]

Wow, this was very interesting! I wonder if I ask my husband loaded questions... LOL

[ourthriftyhomeschool]

This seems like something that we hear A LOT nowadays! Great explanation!

[spiderplant]

Listen, on behalf of non-religious people, i apologize for the absolute idiocy of that atheist and his poorly-constructed, self-righteous "question".

[TheCookingChronicleswithIngrid]

Awesome stuff here! You did a great job in your explanation of the loaded question fallacy!