Part II: Putting Arguments in Standard Form (#1 = 2 points; #2-5 = 4 points)

For each of the following, put the argument in standard form.

1.

1. They (NDP) are going to lose the election

2. no one wants to be on the losing side
3.

Don
t

vot
e

f
or

t
he

NDP

2.

1. Under socialized medicine, the government has a strangle-hold on doctors,

preventing them from billing as they choose.
2. Patients face endless waiting lists for treatment
3. everyone who pays taxes pays for treating the sick
4. Obviously, private, for-profit medicine is the only system that guarantees
freedom of choice.

3.

1. Students who start work now will be making almost as much as university
graduates do when they start.
2. students enter the work force with quite a bit of debt
3. students starting work now have a wider choice of jobs, which might not exist
in 5 years.
(sub-conclusion ) 4. Given these considerations, university looks like a bad deal.
5. With the booming economy, university enrollment will be down this year.
4.

1. Some claim that God allows evil so that good may come of it.
2. that means God is using evil done to one person to benefit another person,
3.

f
unda
me
nt
a
l

mor
a
l

r
ul
e

i
s

t
ha
t

y
ou
c
a
n
t

us
e

one

pe
r
s
on
s

s
uf
f
e
r
i
ng

f
or

t
he
benefit of another
4. either God breaks this rule and is not moral or God is exempt from this rule and
not moral as we understand it.

5.

1. the mainstream media are all owned by major corporations

2. their content is selected to conform with business interests and politics
3. no one who only views mainstream media can count themselves truly informed.

Part III: Basic Deductive Argument Patterns (standard form = 2 points; name =1 point; validity =
1 point)
For each of the following, put the argument in standard form, identify it by name (if it conforms
to one of the Basic Patterns (pp.6-7); if not, just leave blank), and state if it is valid or invalid.
1.

1. Either Obama pulls troops out of Iraq or the recession will continue for a long time to
come
2. Obama will keep his promise to pull the troops out of Iraq
3. it looks like the recession will soon be over!
Looks like Disjunctive Syllogism, but is invalid by failing to negate where it should.

2.

1. If you mix Coca-cola and Asprin and drink it, then you will get high
2. I never mix Coke and Asprin and drink it,
3. I will not be able to get high.
Denying the Antecedent, Invalid

3.

1. If you need to rely on your car, then yearly checkups are necessary
2. for me, yearly checkups are not necessary
3.

don
t

ne
e
d
t
o
r
e
l
y

on
my

c
a
r
.
Modus Tollens, valid

4.

1. If Obama wins the election, then Clinton will be Vice President

2. if Clinton is Vice President, then her husband will be a policy advisor in spirit if not in
name
3.

I
t

f
ol
l
ows

t
ha
t

i
f

Oba
ma

wi
ns
,

Cl
i
nt
on
s

hus
ba
nd
wi
l
l

be

pol
i
c
y

a
dvi
s
or
.
Hypothetical Syllogism, valid

5.

1. If time flies like an arrow, then fruit flies like a banana

2. Time does fly like an arrow
3. fruit flies like a banana.
Modus Ponens, valid

6.

1. If George runs out of money in July, then he will have to sell his furniture or get
another job
2. he will not run out of money in July
3. he will neither have to sell his furniture nor get another job
Denying Antecedent, Invalid.

7.

1. If the university wants to promote the Humanities, then some funding from science
must be cut
2. if the Social Sciences dominate the Senate, then nothing will change
3. Either the university wants to promote the Humanities or the Social Sciences dominate
the Senate
4. either funding from science must be cut or nothing will change
Constructive Dilemma, Valid

8.

1. If life is nasty, brutish and short, then you better take what you can in this life
2. it is true that you should take what you can
3. life is nasty, brutish and short.
Affirming the Consequent, Invalid

Part B: Valid and Invalid Argument Forms Choose the correct name for the argument pattern in
each of these examples.
Choices: Modus Ponens, Modus Tollens, Disjunctive Syllogism, Hypothetical Syllogism, Constructive
Dilemma, Affirming the Consequent, Denying the Antecedent, Disjunctive Fallacy

Scoring: 2 points each correct answer

1. If someone knowingly commits atrocities like Jeffrey Dahmer, he ought _Constructive
t
o

g
o

t
o

p
r
i
s
o
n
f
o
r

l
i
f
e
.

Bu
t

i
f

t
h
e
r
e

i
s

a
ny

c
h
a
n
c
e

h
e

d
i
d
n

k
n
o
w
wh
a
t

h
e Dilemma__
was doing, he should be sent to an insane asylum. Either he did knowingly
c
ommi
t

a
t
r
oc
i
t
i
e
s

or

he

di
dn
t

know
wha
t

he

wa
s

doi
ng
.

So,

e
i
t
he
r

he
should go to prison for life or be sent to the insane asylum.
2. Animals should never be used in experiments. If they can suffer, then
we s
h
o
u
l
d
n

use them in experiments and they can suffer.

_Modus ponens_
Note the negative!

3. Either we have been put here for a purpose or life has no meaning. But _Disjunctive Fallacy_
we have been put here for a purpose, so it is not true life has no meaning. Note the negative!
4. If you have no cash, you c
a
n
t

pay your rent. If you c

a
n
t

pay rent, then _Hypothetical syllogism_

y
ou
l
l

e
nd

u
p
s
l
e
e
pi
ng

on
a

p
a
r
k
be
nc
h.

So,

i
f

y
o
u
ha
ve

no c
a
s
h,

y
ou
l
l

e
ndNote the negative!
up sleeping on a park bench.
5. If the Iranians don
t

stand down on the nuclear issue, the Americans will _Denying the
continue to plan for war. Fortunately, it looks like the Iranians will stand Antecedent_
down. Therefore, the Americans won
t

continue their planning.

Note the negative!
6.

I
f

y
ou
bui
l
d
i
t

t
he
y

wi
l
l

c
ome
.

The
y

di
dn
t

c
ome
.

You
mus
t

not

ha
ve
built it.

_Modus tollens_

Part C: Arguments Put the following arguments into standard form using the provided blank
spaces. If an enthymeme, add the missing premise(s).
Scoring: 4 points each
1.
1. Tiny is a pit bull
2.

y
ou
c
a
n
t

t
r
us
t

pi
t

bul
l

a
r
ound
c
hi
l
dr
e
n
3.

y
ou
c
a
n
t

t
r
us
t

Ti
ny

a
r
ound
c
hi
l
dr
e
n
2.

Context: Many philosophers have tried to distinguish between just and unjust wars.
1. all wars cause suffering to innocent people
2. the suffering of innocents is unjust
3. there is no such thing as just war

3.

1. Herb had the highest score on the qualifying exam

2. Sub-conclusion: so he will get first consideration for the job
3. The person who gets first qualification almost always gets the job
4. Thus, it is pretty sure that the job will go to Herb.

4.

1. Mr. Whewell wearing the flag for a skirt is a form of expression

2. Suppressed premise: Forms of expression are protected by the constitution.
3. Thus, it has the protection of the constitution

5.

1.

The

dr
unk
who
r
a
n
down
t
he

J
one
s

boy

ki
l
l
e
d
a
n
i
nnoc
e
nt

huma
n
be
i
ng
2. Suppressed premise: those killing innocents deserve to lose there lives.
3. he deserves to lose his own life.