Philosophy and Logic Exam 1
Determine whether the following arguments are best classified as being deductive or inductive. Reference: Ref 1-9 Every horse can run a mile in under 3 minutes. Evie has a pet that can run a mile in under 3 minutes. Therefore, Evie's pet is certainly a horse.
Deductive; No, it's a deductive argument, albeit an invalid deductive argument. The inferential claim is that, if the premises are true, then the conclusion is also true. The inferential claim is not that the conclusion is probably true.
That's a massive building. It follows that the nails in the building are massive, too.
Division
In a cogent argument, all premises are true.
True
I ate three mangoes from the Philippines, and they were all sweet. I'm sure that every mango from there must be sweet.
Hasty Generalization
I had two station wagons and they both were terrible. I'm sure that there is something in the design of station wagons that makes them all awful vehicles.
Hasty Generalization
Determine whether or not the following passages contain arguments. I like candy. I love chocolate. I hate peanuts. Also, I don't care for circus acts or water sports. It's OK if you like that stuff.
No Argument
When premises are dependent, the falsity of any one would weaken the support the others give to the conclusion.
True
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 If 1 you have your car on a regular maintenance checkup program, and if 2 you drive carefully, it follows that 3 you should have your car for a long time.
1 and 2 each have an arrow to 4
In an appeal to the people fallacy the avoidance of objective evidence in favor of an emotional response defeats the goal of a rational investigation of truth.
True
Premises are dependent when they act together to support a conclusion.
True
Premises are independent when the falsity of either one would not nullify any support the others would give to the conclusion.
True
In an invalid argument, at least one of the premises is actually false.
False
If you start out by drinking only one beer, then pretty soon you will not be satisfied unless you drink two. Then you will need three, and so on. Eventually, you will become an alcoholic.
Slippery Slope
My mom told me to start exercising and eating right, so I will live a long and healthy life. But since she has smoked since she was a teenager, I don't need to listen to her advice.
Tu quoque
Tu quoque occurs when a biased sample is used to construct an argument.
False
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 Every insect has six legs. 2 What's crawling on me is an insect. So 3 what's crawling on me has six legs.
1,2 dependently point to 3
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 Most Doberman dogs bark a lot. 2 My cousin just got a Doberman dog. Therefore, 3 my cousin's Doberman dog will probably bark a lot.
1,2 dependently point to 3
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 Carly tossed a coin ten times, and 2 in each case it came up heads. 3 I have a feeling that it is a trick coin. So, 4 I predict the next toss will be heads.
1,2 dependently to 3, 3 to 4
Sometimes we speak or write for dramatic or exaggerated effect. When this occurs, we are using enthymemes.
False
In an invalid argument, at least one of the premises is false.
False
What do we call a deductive argument in which it can never be the case that all of the premises are true and the conclusion is false?
Valid
Determine whether the following inductive arguments are strong or weak. Reference: Ref 1-20 Leo makes only $10 an hour waiting tables part time. He probably is not able to save even $5 a week from his paycheck.
Weak
A single premise can be used to support independent conclusions.
True
Since no one has completely proved that ghosts don't exist, it follows that they must exist.
Appeal to ignorance
Science hasn't proven that God doesn't exist. Therefore, God must exist.
Appeal to Ignorance
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 For the last 10 years the best picture Oscar has gone to a drama. 2 A comedy has no chance of winning the Oscar for best picture this year.
1 points to 2
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 All fires need oxygen. 2 There is no oxygen in that room. So, 3 there is no fire in that room.
1,2 dependent to 3
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 The exam's range of A scores is 90-100. 2 I got a 98 on the exam. It follows necessarily that 3 I got an A on the exam.
1,2 dependent to 3
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 Since 1 watching television distracts your mind, and since 2 distractions reduce your ability to focus, we can conclude that 3 watching television while studying negatively affects your ability to learn.
1,2 dependent to 3
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 All those books have more than more than 200 pages. 2 And all these books here have more than 500 pages. So you can see, 3 there are certainly books that have more than 150 pages.
1,2 each have an arrow to 3
An invalid argument is automatically an unsound argument.
True
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 She doesn't eat pork, 2 chicken, 3 beef, 4 mutton, 5 veal, 6 venison, 7 turkey, or 8 fish. 9 It follows that she must be a vegetarian.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 all dependently point to 9
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 Stealing someone's personal property is illegal. 2 Stealing someone's intellectual property is illegal. So, 3 you should respect all kinds of property. 4 This respect will lead to a more civil society.
1.2 dependent to 3, 3 points to 4
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 I am eating something with seeds, because 2 every orange has seeds, and 3 I am eating an orange.
2,3 dependently point to 1
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 The antibiotic you are taking will have no effect on your disease. That's because 2 antibiotics have no effect on viruses, and 3 you have a disease that is caused by a virus, and 4 you are taking the antibiotic Q.
2,3,4 dependently point to 1
Determine the correct diagram for each argument. Reference: Ref 3-1 1 You will become intellectually interesting if you do the following: 2 Go to a museum at least once a month; 3 read a book a week; 4 visit a library at least once every 2 weeks; 5 read more than one newspaper; 6 watch TV programs that make you think; and 7 write letters to friends.
234567 - dependent to 1
Counterexample
A counterexample to a statement is evidence that shows the statement is false. A counterexample to an argument shows the possibility that premises assumed to be true do not make the conclusion necessarily true. A single counterexample to a deductive argument is enough to show that the argument is invalid.
Sound argument
A deductive argument is sound when the argument is valid, and the premises are true
Unsound argument
A deductive argument is unsound when the argument is invalid, or when at least one of the premises is false.
What can never occur in a valid argument?
All the premises are true and the conclusion is false.
In a valid arguments, what can NEVER occur?
All the premises are true while the conclusion is false.
Deductive argument
An argument in which the inferential claim is that the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises. In other words, under the assumption that the premises are true it is impossible for the conclusion to be false
Inductive argument
An argument in which the inferential claim is that the conclusion is probably true if the premises are true. In other words, under the assumption that the premises are true it is improbable for the conclusion to be false
valid deductive argument
An argument in which, assuming the premises are true, it is impossible for the conclusion to be false. In other words, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
Invalid deductive argument
An argument in which, assuming the premises are true, it is possible for the conclusion to be false. In other words, the conclusion does not follow necessarily from the premise
Determine whether or not the following passages contain arguments. More damage was done last year from hurricanes than earthquakes. There was $100 million damage last year from hurricanes. There was $70 million damage last year from earthquakes.
Argument
Determine whether or not the following passages contain arguments. Newspapers are a good source of in-depth news and they are easily accessible. Weekly magazines are good source of in-depth news and they are easily accessible. PBS, CNN, and CSPAN are good sources of in-depth news and they are easily accessible. There is no reason why anyone should remain ignorant of what's going on in the world.
Argument
For each of the following passages, decide whether it is an argument or an explanation. Computers will soon be in every home because the cost of buying one goes down dramatically every year.
Argument
He dresses sloppily. So, he is probably a bad singer.
Argument against the person (ad hominem )
Your neighbor wants you to buy stock in his company. Don't you know that he is an atheist? It stands to reason that you can't trust anything he says.
Argument against the person (ad hominem)
Premise Indicators
Because Since Given that Assuming that As shown by For the reason(s) that As indicated by Seeing that It follows fro
She's the best candidate for the job. I know this, because no one is better qualified.
Begging the Question
Every apple in that barrel weighs very little. So, I predict that the barrel of apples weighs very little.
Composition
Hamburgers are loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Pizza is loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Too much saturated fat and sodium is harmful to your heart. Jim takes in too much saturated fat and sodium. It follows Jim is harming his heart. - Jim is harming his heart.
Conclusion
Paris is called the "City of Lights." Las Vegas is also called the "City of Lights." So, there must be at least two cities with the same nickname. There must be at least two cities with the same nickname.
Conclusion
We should stop interfering in other countries' affairs. This follows from the fact that we have no moral right to change a country's way of governing itself. Also, interfering often gets us locked into combat; not to mention that the potential for loss of lives on both sides is high. In addition, the cost of waging wars is astronomical. Any engagement means weakening our already shaky economy. Add the fact that interfering makes us have more enemies around the world who feel threatened by us. We should stop interfering in other countries' affairs.
Conclusion
Determine whether the following arguments are best classified as being deductive or inductive. Reference: Ref 1-9 Every horse can run a mile in under 3 minutes. Evie has a horse. Therefore, Evie's horse can run a mile in under three minutes.
Deductive
Determine whether the following arguments are best classified as being deductive or inductive. Reference: Ref 1-9 The exam's range of C scores is 70-79. I got a 98 on the exam. Therefore, I did not get a C on the exam.
Deductive
For each of the following passages, decide whether it is an argument or an explanation. I have a stomachache. It must be those nachos I ate.
Explanation
For each of the following passages, decide whether it is an argument or an explanation. Reference: Ref 1-8 She quit her job today because she inherited $1 million from a rich relative.
Explanation
A counterexample to an argument is evidence that the conclusion is false.
False
A deductive argument is one in which it is claimed that the conclusion follows probably from the premises.
False
A fallacy of division requires that the premises act independently to support the conclusion.
False
A red herring fallacy occurs when an argument has at least one false premise.
False
A sound argument can have false premises
False
A valid argument always has a true conclusion.
False
An argument must have at least two premises.
False
An inductive argument is cogent when the argument is strong, even if the premises are false.
False
An inductive argument is one in which it is claimed that the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
False
Begging the question occurs when an argument uses pity to beg someone to accept the conclusion.
False
Every explanation is an argument.
False
In a valid argument, all premises are true.
False
In an appeal to force fallacy the attention is purposely (or accidentally) diverted from the issue at hand.
False
In the fallacy of composition the premises act together to support the conclusion.
False
Ostensive definitions are used only with children learning new terms.
False
The extension of a term is specified by listing the properties or attributes that the term connotes.
False
Determine whether the following arguments are best classified as being deductive or inductive. Reference: Ref 1-9 Most horses can run a mile in under 3 minutes. Evie has a horse. Therefore, Evie's horse probably can run a mile in under 3 minutes.
Inductive
Determine whether the following arguments are best classified as being deductive or inductive. Reference: Ref 1-9 The exam's range of C scores is 70-79. I got a C on the exam. Therefore, maybe I got a 75 on the exam.
Inductive
Determine whether or not the following passages contain arguments. Most scientists agree that global warming is caused by human activity.
No Argument
Every time the barometer drops below a certain point, it rains. Then, when it goes back up, the rain stops. The barometer must have the power to start and stop rain.
Post Hoc
Hamburgers are loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Pizza is loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Too much saturated fat and sodium is harmful to your heart. Jim takes in too much saturated fat and sodium. It follows Jim is harming his heart. Jim takes in too much saturated fat and sodium.
Premise
Paris is called the "City of Lights." Las Vegas is also called the "City of Lights." So, there must be at least two cities with the same nickname. Paris is called the "City of Lights."
Premise
Paris is called the "City of Lights." Las Vegas is also called the "City of Lights." So, there must be at least two cities with the same nickname. Las Vegas is also called the "City of Lights."
Premise
Pick out the premises and conclusion for each of the following arguments. Argument 1 Hamburgers are loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Pizza is loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Too much saturated fat and sodium is harmful to your heart. Jim takes in too much saturated fat and sodium. It follows Jim is harming his heart. - Hamburgers are loaded with saturated fat and sodium.
Premise
We should stop interfering in other countries' affairs. This follows from the fact that we have no moral right to change a country's way of governing itself. Also, interfering often gets us locked into combat; not to mention that the potential for loss of lives on both sides is high. In addition, the cost of waging wars is astronomical. Any engagement means weakening our already shaky economy. Add the fact that interfering makes us have more enemies around the world who feel threatened by us. The potential for loss of lives on both sides is high.
Premise
Determine whether the following inductive arguments are strong or weak. Reference: Ref 1-20 Only a few people will be chosen for the Olympic team. Of those receiving phone calls from the selection committee, 80% will make the team. John received a phone call from the selection committee. John will probably make the Olympic team.
Strong
Determine whether the following inductive arguments are strong or weak. Reference: Ref 1-20 The vast majority of students who don't have a book for the course, and who don't do the homework, wind up failing the course. I know for a fact that Michael doesn't have a book and he doesn't do the homework. Michael will fail the course.
Strong
Conclusion Indicators
Therefore Thus So Hence Consequently In conclusion It follows that We can infer that It proves that It suggests that It implies that We can conclude that
A single counterexample to a deductive argument is enough to show that an argument is invalid.
True
A slippery slope fallacy attempts to convince you that a final event the inevitable outcome of an initial act, by a kind of "chain reaction".
True
A valid deductive argument is one where, assuming the premises are true, it is impossible for the conclusion to be false.
True
An argument against the person ( ad hominem) occurs when a claim is rejected or judged to be false based on alleged character flaws of the person making the claim.
True
Appeal to an unqualified authority occurs when an argument that relies on the opinions of people who have no expertise, training, or knowledge relevant to the issue at hand.
True
Equivocation is the intentional or unintentional use of different meanings of words or phrases in an argument.
True
Every statement is either true or false; these two possibilities are called truth values.
True
Determine whether the following inductive arguments are strong or weak. Reference: Ref 1-20 There are thirty students in my class. Two students got a perfect score on the last exam. I am probably one of the students who got a perfect score on the last exam.
Weak
etermine whether the following inductive arguments are strong or weak. Reference: Ref 1-20 Only a few people will be chosen for the Olympic team. John will make the Olympic team.
Weak
