Logic Quiz 1 (True/False)

A general statement makes a claim about an individual member of a class.

False

A prediction could be deductively valid.

False

Amphiboly can always be traced to an ambiguity in a specific word or phrase, whereas equivocation can be traced to an ambiguous statement.

False

An arguer may commit the fallacy of false dichotomy by reasoning in a circle.

False

An uncogent inductive argument must also be weak.

False

Any transference of attributes from parts to whole commits a composition fallacy.

False

If an argument is deductively valid, then its premises must be true in actuality.

False

If an inductive argument is weak, then every statement in the argument is false.

False

If an opinion is stated convincingly then it is a good argument.

False

If every statement in a deductive argument is true, then it must be a valid argument.

False

If the premises of an argument make a conclusion likely to be true, then the argument is deductively valid.

False

If you know just the truth values of a deductive argument's premises, then you will know whether the argument is sound.

False

In all argument forms, the letters represent statements.

False

It is proper to call a statement either valid or invalid.

False

The fallacies of ambiguity arise because the premises are irrelevant to the conclusion.

False

The fallacies of ambiguity include false dichotomy.

False

The fallacies of presumption arise from mistakes in transferring attributes between parts of a thing and that thing as a whole (and vice versa).

False

The fallacy of complex question occurs when a disjunctive premise presents two alternatives as though they were jointly exhaustive, when in fact other likely alternatives are available.

False

The first step in testing a deductive argument for validity is to determine whether the premises are all actually true.

False

To count as a premise, a statement must be true.

False

When a fallacy of equivocation is committed, the arguer is usually responding to an ambiguous statement made by someone else.

False

"Necessarily" and "certainly" are typical deductive indicators.

True

A "leading question" is distinct from a "complex question."

True

A sound deductive argument cannot have any false premises.

True

A strong inductive argument may have premises and a conclusion that are all false.

True

A weak inductive argument cannot be cogent.

True

All deductive arguments are either completely valid or completely invalid.

True

Although geometry uses analogies in its reasoning, geometric arguments are still deductive.

True

Arguments using statistical reasoning are inductive.

True

Equivocation can always be traced to an ambiguity in a specific word or phrase, whereas amphiboly can be traced to an ambiguous statement.

True

If a deductive argument has false premises and a false conclusion, then the argument could be valid.

True

The fallacies of ambiguity include amphiboly.

True

The fallacies of illicit transference arise from mistakes in transferring attributes between parts of a thing and that thing as a whole (and vice versa).

True

The fallacies of presumption include false dichotomy.

True

The fallacy of complex question is committed when multiple questions are posed in the guise of a single question, so as to invite a single answer to more than one question.

True

The fallacy of equivocation is committed when an argument depends on the fact that a word or phrase takes on two different meanings within an argument.

True

The hasty generalization fallacy is an example of a fallacy of weak induction.

True

To have a cogent inductive argument, the premises must not ignore a piece of evidence that would require a different conclusion.

True

A good counterexample will use vague terms or statements with truth values that are difficult to determine.

False

A statement may be both true and false.

False

A suggestion is a statement.

False

A tu quoque ("you too") fallacy tries to win approval of its conclusion by exciting the emotions and enthusiasm of a group.

False

A valid argument form is a sign of a defective reasoning process in an argument.

False

A warning is an argument because it makes an inferential claim.

False

All defective arguments commit a fallacy.

False

All invalid arguments are substitution instances of the same form.

False

An argument can be both a disjunctive syllogism and a categorical syllogism.

False

An argument that attempts to apply a general rule to a specific case that it was not intended to cover commits a straw man fallacy.

False

Any argument with true premises must be a good argument.

False

Being a mammal is a sufficient condition for being a dog.

False

Counterexamples can be used to show inductive strength or weakness.

False

Each premise indicator may correspond to only a single premise.

False

Every argument that contains deductive indicator words is a deductive argument.

False

Fallacies of weak induction occur mainly because the premises of an argument are logically irrelevant to the conclusion.

False

Fallacies that try to distract a listener from the rational implications of an argument by making pejorative claims about the argument's author are formal fallacies.

False

Fallacious arguments never have false premises.

False

For the purposes of an argument from authority, no one should be considered an authority in more than one field.

False

Hasty generalization proceeds from the general to the particular, whereas the accident fallacy moves from the particular to the general.

False

If an argument commits a fallacy of relevance, then the conclusion of the argument follows from its premises.

False

If an argument commits a fallacy of weak induction, then it is a cogent argument.

False

If an invalid argument has premises and a conclusion that are all true, then it is impossible to give a counterexample to this argument's form.

False

If reasons are given for a conclusion, then the result will be a good argument.

False

In a deductive argument, the inferential claim is that the conclusion is probably true, given true premises.

False

In a sound argument, the connection between premises and conclusion is merely emotional.

False

In an ordinary language argument, the conclusion always appears as the last sentence in the passage.

False

In general, a demonstrated lack of evidence counts as positive evidence.

False

In logic, an argument is adequately defined as a verbal fight.

False

In the form for a hypothetical syllogism, the letters represent noun phrases.

False

Informal fallacies never occur in deductive arguments.

False

No objective criteria exist by which to evaluate an argument.

False

Personal comments are never relevant to the conclusion of a good argument.

False

Some fallacious deductive arguments are sound.

False

Some fallacious deductive arguments are valid.

False

Some true statements are also false.

False

Some uncogent arguments neither contain false premises nor commit a fallacy.

False

The accident fallacy is an example of a fallacy of weak induction.

False

The appeal to vanity form of an appeal to the people fallacy entices a person's desire not to be left behind or excluded.

False

The conclusion of an inductive argument follows from the premises in a stronger way than does the conclusion of a deductive argument.

False

The fact that a sample is large guarantees that an argument from generalization is cogent.

False

The false cause fallacy resembles an argument from authority.

False

The objective of an appeal to snobbery fallacy is to arouse a kind of mob mentality.

False

The words "thus," "since," and "because" are used only in arguments.

False

To be a counterexample, a substitution instance must use terms or statements that begin with the same letters as those in the argument form of which it is an instance.

False

Tu quoque arguments are a form of the appeal to the people fallacy.

False

You never need to examine content words when inspecting arguments for informal fallacies.

False

A disjunctive syllogism must have "either... or..." statements in its premises.

True

A passage's introductory statement is often not part of the argument itself.

True

A set of loosely associated statements does not contain an inferential relationship.

True

A statement is true if it reflects an accurate state of affairs.

True

A substitution instance is produced by uniformly substituting terms or statements for the letters in an argument form.

True

A successful counterexample will use statements with indisputable truth values and terms with precise definitions.

True

All arguments with false premises are either unsound or uncogent.

True

An argument against the person (ad hominem) fallacy attacks another arguer without posing a genuine rebuttal to the opponent's argument.

True

An argument based on signs must have an intelligently produced message as justification for its conclusion.

True

An argument that attempts to apply a general rule to a specific case that it was not intended to cover commits an accident fallacy.

True

An argument's form is determined by replacing the content words with letters, while leaving the form words alone.

True

Application of general causal laws to specific circumstances can sometimes be interpreted as deductive.

True

Arguments that commit a formal fallacy can sometimes be made into valid arguments by rearranging the letters that are used in the argument's form.

True

Every passage that presents both a factual claim and an inferential claim is an argument.

True

If an argument uses no indicators whatsoever, then the argument could still be either deductive or inductive.

True

If an inductive argument commits a fallacy of weak induction, then it is a weak argument.

True

If two arguments are both substitution instances of the same valid form, then both arguments must be valid.

True

If two arguments are not substitution instances of the same argument form, then one argument cannot be a counterexample to the other.

True

In a cogent argument, the premises provide evidence for the argument's conclusion.

True

In a deductive argument, the arguer claims that it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false.

True

In a good argument, you should be able to infer the conclusion from the premises.

True

In an argument form for a categorical syllogism, the letters will stand for terms or noun phrases.

True

In an explanation, the explanandum is a fact to be explained.

True

In an inductive argument, the inferential claim is that the conclusion is probably true when the premises are true.

True

In committing a straw man argument, the arguer fails to address an opponent's real argument.

True

In fallacies of weak induction, the premises bear some relevance to whether the conclusion might be plausible but not enough to cause a reasonable person to believe the conclusion is actually true.

True

In your textbook, the terms "proposition" and "statement" are used interchangeably.

True

Indicator words are helpful in making explicit inferential claims.

True

It is not the case that an evoked sense of pity is always logically irrelevant to an argument's conclusion.

True

It is possible for a single argument to commit more than one fallacy of relevance.

True

No fallacious arguments are good arguments.

True

Not all fallacious arguments have false premises.

True

Not every passage containing an indicator word is an argument.

True

Not every sentence in a paragraph that contains an argument has to be a part of the argument.

True

Some defective arguments do not have false premises.

True

Some fallacies arise because the arguer tries to appeal to a listener's dispositions or prejudices, rather than appealing to rational inference.

True

Some fallacies can be detected by inspecting the form of the argument alone.

True

Some false cause fallacies arise because the arguer mistakenly tries to reduce a complex of multiple causes down to just one of those causes.

True

The appeal to force fallacy often causes emotion to impede a listener's ability to recognize a missing premise.

True

The counterexample method cannot prove that an argument is valid.

True

The fallacy of slippery slope occurs when the conclusion of an argument rests on a supposed chain reaction without sufficient reason to believe that chain reaction will actually occur.

True

The modern account of induction allows that an inductive argument can proceed from the general to the particular.

True

The premises of a good argument provide positive evidence for the conclusion.

True

There are multiple distinct types of informal fallacies.

True

When restructuring an argument, you should convert the statements within the argument to complete sentences and place them in the order in which they best capture the argument's reasoning, but otherwise remain as close as possible to the original version.

True