Final answer:
Chief Justice Taney's ruling that Dred Scott could not sue for his freedom because he was not considered a citizen showcases the Genetic Fallacy (option C), where the argument is based on origin rather than merit.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Dred Scott v. Sandford case of 1857, Chief Justice Roger Taney's ruling that Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man, was not a citizen and therefore incapable of suing for his freedom in federal court is considered to be an example of faulty reasoning.
This decision is also known for its impact on the understanding of citizenship and the protection of slavery within the Constitution. Taney's ruling falls under what is recognized as the Genetic Fallacy, which is a type of fallacy where a claim is accepted or rejected based on its origin rather than its merit. In this case, Taney argued that the framers of the Constitution never intended for African Americans to be citizens, and thus, Scott had no standing in court.