UGED1112A Logic 2013-14 2nd semester

Tutorial #4

I Write “+” for true statements and “ － ” for false statements inside the
parentheses provided.

1) A strong argument has the following essential feature: it is impossible for its
conclusion to be false while its premises are true. ………………………… ( － )
2) “Tu quoque” is a kind of fallacy of appeal to force. …………………….. ( － )
3) All deductive arguments are valid. …………………………………………( － )
4) All valid arguments have at least one false premise. ……………………….( － )
5) Every valid argument has true premises and only true premises. …………. ( － )
6) Inductive arguments can guarantee the truth of their conclusions. ………... ( － )
7) False cause fallacy occurs when the conclusion of an argument rests upon an
alleged chain reaction and there is not sufficient reason to think that the chain
reaction will actually take place. …………………………………………... ( － )
8) The major term is the subject term of the conclusion. …………………….. ( － )
9) Every uncogent argument is weak. …………………………………………( － )
10) Middle terms are the predicate terms of the conclusions. …………………. ( － )

II Identify the fallacies committed by the following arguments, and give a brief
explanation for your answer.

1) JACK: I believe very strongly in astrology, don’t you?

MAY: What reasons do you have to believe that its principles are true?
JACK: I’m an Aries (白羊座), and Aries’ are very good in perceiving what’s true.

Begging the question. The reason why Jack thinks that astrology is true is based on

his belief that he is an Aries and that Aries’ are very good in perceiving truth , which

presupposes that astrology is true.__________________________________________

2) To fight global warming, we can either raise taxes on fossil fuels or else find
alternatives sources of energy. Since there is no chance of finding alternative
sources of energy now, we must raise taxes.

False dichotomy. It is obvious that there exists the third alternative. For example, to

do more promotions and encourage people to use less fossil fuels.________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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3) JACK: Mr. Lam, the wages I’m paid aren’t living wages. They are below the legal minimum
wage. Given my increased overtime hours, I think I deserve a raise.
LAM: Jack, when I was your age I worked for half the money you’re getting. Even today there
are people in other countries who make in a year what you make in a month.

Red Herring. What they are arguing is supposed to be whether to increase Jack’s wage or not. But Mr.

Lam just tries to turn Jack’s attention to the fact that Jack’s wage is much higher than that of his when

he was young. _____________________________

4) You’d better go to bed early tonight. If you don’t get to bed early, you’ll be too tired to do well on
the final exam tomorrow, and then you won’t get admitted into a decent university and then you’ll
end up an alcoholic living in a trash-bin(垃圾筒).

Slippery Slope. It is obvious that from not getting to bed early to ending up an alcoholic living in a

trash-bin is not a sufficiently supported chain reaction, since we can certainly break this alleged chain

at any point._____________________________

III Use Venn diagrams to determine whether the following arguments are valid
or invalid.
1)
All M are P.
Some S are M.
________________________

Some S are P.
Valid
2)
All M are P.
Some S are not M.
________________________

Some S are not P.

Invalid

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3)
No M are P.
Some S are M.
________________________

Some S are not P.

Valid
4)
Some M are not P.
All M are S.
________________________

Some S are P.
Invalid
5)
Some M are not P.
No S are M.
________________________

Some S are P.
Invalid

IV Translate the following statements into standard-form categorical

propositions by the stipulated categories in the parentheses, and draw a
Venn diagram for each proposition.

1) Not all interest expenses are tax deductible (可減免的). (interest expenses,
tax-deductible expenses)
→ Some interest expenses are not tax-deductible expenses.

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2) If a piece of evidence is trustworthy, then it should be admissible in court.

(trustworthy pieces of evidence, pieces of evidence that should be
admissible in court)
→ All trustworthy pieces of evidence are pieces of evidence that should be
admissible in court.

3) Environmentalists purchase only fuel-efficient cars ( 省 油 車 ). (cars

purchased by environmentalists, fuel-efficient cars)
→ All cars purchased by environmentalists are fuel-efficient cars.

4) Animals are bears only if they are fierce (兇殘). (bears, fierce animals)
→ All bears are fierce animals.

V Translate the following arguments into standard-form categorical syllogisms

by the stipulated categories in the parentheses, and use Venn diagrams to
determine whether each is valid or invalid.

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1) John is not the only citizen, because only citizens are property owners, and unless
a person is a property owner, he is not John. (People identical to John, citizens,
property owners)

All people identical to John are property owners.

All property owners are citizens.
________________________________________________________________________

Some citizens are not people identical to John. Invalid

2) Unless a man is a philosopher, he is not a skeptic (懷疑論者 ). Nobody except

theologians is philosophers. Therefore, there is no skeptic who is not a
theologian. (Philosophers, skeptics, theologians)

All philosophers are theologians.

All skeptics are philosophers.
________________________________________________________________________

All skeptics are theologians.

Valid

3) Anyone who led America into the space age will live in history. Therefore, John
Glenn will live in history, because he led America into the space age. (People
who led America into the space age, People who will live in history, People
identical to John Glenn)

All people who led America into the space age are people who will live in
history.
All people identical to John Glenn are people who led America into the space
age.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

All people identical to John Glenn are people who will live in history. Valid

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4) That which has no parts cannot perish (消除) by dissolution of its parts, and the
soul has no parts. Therefore, the soul cannot perish by dissolution of its parts.
(Things made up by parts, Thing that can perish by dissolution of their parts, Souls )

All things that can perish by dissolution of their parts are things made up by parts.
No souls are things made up by parts.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

No souls are thing that can perish by dissolution of their parts. Valid

5) Unless an argument is invalid, it commits no illicit ( 不 當 的 ) process. All

Syllogisms commit some illicit processes. Therefore, no arguments except
syllogisms are valid arguments. (Valid arguments, Arguments which commit
some illicit processes, Syllogisms)

All syllogisms are arguments which commit some illicit processes.

No valid arguments are arguments which commit some illicit processes.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

All valid arguments are syllogisms. Invalid

6) 除了張議員之外，沒有人是涼薄的。除非一個人倡議二十元時薪，否則他不
是張議員。因此，只有倡議二十元時薪的人是涼薄的。（與張議員等同的人
涼薄的人；倡議二十元時薪的人）

所有與張議員等同的人都是倡議二十元時薪的人。
所有涼薄的人都是與張議員等同的人。
________________________________________________________________________

所有涼薄的人都是倡議二十元時薪的人。

Valid