Which logical informal fallacy is committed in the following argument?

“The maths teacher said that there was to be no talking during the test. So it is fair that Chandni had points deducted for asking to go to the washroom because she felt sick”.

The correct answer is the Fallacy of accident.

Important Points

• A logical fallacy is an error in reasoning that makes your argument less effective and convincing. And you want to be able to spot these fallacies in other people's arguments (and your own) so you can call them out or fix your strategy. There are two major types of logical fallacies, formal and informal.

Key Points

• A fallacy of accident is an informal fallacy in which a rule that includes exceptions is applied to a situation as though there were no exceptions to the rule.
• In other words, this fallacy occurs when a “rule of thumb,” which is created to include exceptions, is replaced with a universal generalization, which includes no exceptions.
• This type of fallacy can be attacked in an argument or debate by simply pointing out that the application of the rule is flawed and ignores noted or established exceptions to that rule. A fallacy of accident often occurs when someone attempts to use a cliché within an argument.
• In an argument under an appeal to force fallacy one imposes some reprisal on the listener if she or he disagrees. Manipulation comes under an appeal to emotion fallacy. A false authority as evidence is appealed or claimed to be true in an appeal to authority.
• Fallacy of an accident is when a general rule is applied to a case where rules are inapplicable. In Chandni's case rule was not to be applicable so it is termed under the fallacy of accident.

Additional Information

Example:

• “Taking a life is a crime and morally wrong; therefore, termite control is a crime and morally wrong”. “No one should ever go to war. After all, everyone knows that one should not kill another person.”
• “Birds can fly; therefore, emus must be able to fly too.” “Nuts are proven to have a variety of great health benefits to people. Thus, it must be right to say that everyone should be eating them.”