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Week 1 exercises Name Javen Koo Zi Cong G10

For each of the following passages, decide whether it is an argument. If the

passage is not an argument, briefly explain why. If it is an argument, rewrite it in
standard argument form, following the example below. Type all your answers.

Example:

The starter must be broken.  If the car won't start, then it's either the starter, the
alternator, or the battery that's the problem.  It won't start.  And we've ruled out the
alternator since we just put a new one in, and it can't be the battery because it's fully
charged.  

This is an argument:

1. If the car won’t start, then it is either the starter, the alternator, or the battery that's
the problem. 
2. The car won’t start.
3. The alternator is not broken.
4. The battery is not dead.
5. Therefore, the starter is broken.

1. More young people are attending high schools and colleges than ever before. Yet
there are more youthful criminal offenders than ever before. There is clearly no
relation between juvenile crime and school attendance.

This is an argument:
1. More young people are attending high schools and colleges than ever before.
2. There are more youthful criminal offenders than ever before.
3. There is clearly no relation between juvenile crime and school attendance.

2. Everyone agrees that scoring an A is good, but it is not clear that everyone agrees
what constitutes an A-student.

This is not an argument. Both are self-standing statements that have no connection.

Conjunction of two self-standing propositions

3. Women tend to have higher pitched voice than men because they have shorter
vocal cords. Shorter vocal cords vibrate at a higher frequency that longer ones.

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An explanation – it is common knowledge that women tend to have higher pitched

voice than men.

4. Singapore cannot do without immigrants. There are not enough workers in our
economy and there is a shortfall of babies in our population.

This is an argument:
1. There are not enough workers in our economy
2. There is a shortfall of babies in our population.
3. Singapore cannot do without immigrants

Can also be an explanation if it is asked by a believer or someone who has

knowledge about Singapore’s population.

1. Identical twins inherit the same genes, but such twins do not always have the same
IQ. This shows that IQ is not determined by genes alone.

This is an argument:
4. Identical twins inherit the same genes
5. Such twins do not always have the same IQ
6. This shows that IQ is not determined by genes alone.

2. A foetus is not legally or scientifically a person or human being so abortion cannot

be equated to murder or taking a life since the foetus is not a person nor alive.

This is an argument:
7. A foetus is not legally or scientifically a person or human being
8. Foetus is not a person nor alive
9. Abortion cannot be equated to murder or taking a life

3. There is no logical impossibility in the hypothesis that the world sprang into
existence five minutes ago, exactly as it then was, with a population that
"remembered" a wholly unreal past. There is no necessary connection between
events at different times. therefore, nothing that is happening now or will happen in
the future can disprove the hypothesis that the world began five minutes ago.

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This is an argument:
1. There is no logical impossibility in the hypothesis that the world sprang into
existence five minutes ago, exactly as it then was, with a population that
"remembered" a wholly unreal past.
2. There is no necessary connection between events at different times.
3. Therefore, nothing that is happening now or will happen in the future can
disprove the hypothesis that the world began five minutes ago.

The first sentence is an analytic proposition

5. Affirmative action has been bitterly contested by people who believe the policy
discriminates against them. They argue that they have not been hired or advanced
because their employer has been forced to give preference to minorities or women.
They say affirmative action is unfair, counterproductive and unjust.

This is an explanation; the author is taking an account of an argument.

Not an argument. The first sentence tells us that many people are unhappy about
affirmative action. The rest of the passage tells us what these people are unhappy
about.

6. If animals have a right not to be bred and killed for food, then animals must not be
bred and killed for food. It makes no difference if the animals are given 5-star
treatment throughout their lives and then killed humanely without any fear or pain.

This is an argument
1. It makes no difference if the animals are given 5-star treatment throughout their
lives and then killed humanely without any fear or pain
2. If animals have a right not to be bred and killed for food, then animals must not
be bred and killed for food. (Conditional proposition)

Not an argument. The first sentence is a conditional, the second sentence

elaborates on it.

7. One argument in favour of capital punishment is based on the concept of retribution.

This argument states that real justice requires people to suffer for their wrongdoing,
and to suffer in a way appropriate for the crime. Each criminal should get what their
crime deserves and in the case of a murderer what their crime deserves is death.

This is an explanation; the author is taking an account of an argument for capital

punishment. Giving an account is not the same as giving an argument.

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8. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is dangerous because it makes the
heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and contributes to hardening of the
arteries, or atherosclerosis, to stroke, kidney disease, and to the development of
heart failure.

This is an explanation as hypertension is known to be dangerous and thus the

author explained that:

Hypertension makes the heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and
contributes to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, to stroke, kidney disease,
and to the development of heart failure.

9. The number of crimes reported to the police is rising, but the overall crime rate may
not be rising. Traditionally, only a quarter of what most people regard as crime has
been notified to the police.

This is an argument:
1. The number of crimes reported to the police is rising,
2. Traditionally, only a quarter of what most people regard as crime has been
notified to the police. (Alternative explanation)
3. Therefore, the overall crime rate may not be rising

10. Whether or not to smoke is a conscious decision, made in the light of an abundance
of information on the lethal effects of tobacco. Surely, those who choose unwisely
should bear the cost of any resulting ill health. Should is a key word

This is not an argument. The author is explaining his stand on tobacco.

This is an argument:
4. Whether or not to smoke is a conscious decision, made in the light of an
abundance of information on the lethal effects of tobacco
5. those who choose unwisely should bear the cost of any resulting ill health

4. The conditions under which many food animals are raised are unhealthy for humans.
To keep these animals alive, large quantities of drugs must be administered. These
drugs remain in the animals’ flesh and are passed on to the humans who eat it.

This is an argument:
1. To keep these animals alive, large quantities of drugs must be administered.

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2. These drugs remain in the animals’ flesh and are passed on to the humans who
eat it.
3. The conditions under which many food animals are raised are unhealthy for
humans.

5. The human body is a complex self-regulated system. It therefore reacts poorly when
the amount of nourishment it receives changes without there being a corresponding
change in the body's actual nutritional requirements. This is why fad-diets are
unhealthy.

This is an argument:
1. The human body is a complex self-regulated system.
2. It therefore reacts poorly when the amount of nourishment it receives changes
without there being a corresponding change in the body's actual nutritional
requirements.
3. This is why fad-diets are unhealthy.

6. A child is equipped from birth with the capacity to reproduce all the sounds used by
the world’s languages and to learn any system of grammar. The language the child
learns is the one spoken by his or her parents or caretakers.

This is an argument:
1. A child is equipped from birth with the capacity to reproduce all the sounds used
by the world’s languages and to learn any system of grammar.
2. The language the child learns is the one spoken by his or her parents or
caretakers.

Not an argument. Just two self-standing propositions

7. Nuclear weapons prevent global war. Since 1945, we have had nuclear weapons,
and since 1945, we have not had a world war.

This is an argument:
1. Since 1945, we have had nuclear weapons
2. We have not had a world war since then
3. Nuclear weapons prevent global war

8. The idea that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity implies that you
have certain rights.

This is not an argument – this is a conditional proposition (single proposition)

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9. When you create logically unsound arguments, you are much less likely to convince
people that you have a valid point to make or get them to agree with you. Even if
they are not familiar with logic, many people will realize that there is something
wrong with some fallacious arguments without being able to identify the fallacy
involved.

This is an explanation – it is known that making logically unsound arguments are

less likely to convince people to agree with you.

This is an argument:
1. Even if they are not familiar with logic, many people will realize that there is
something wrong with some fallacious arguments without being able to identify
the fallacy involved
2. When you create logically unsound arguments, you are much less likely to
convince people that you have a valid point to make or get them to agree with
you.

10. No one living in Pompeii could have survived the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The
reason is simple: The lava was flowing too fast, and there was nowhere to go to
escape it in time. Therefore, this account of the eruption, which claims to have been
written by an eyewitness living in Pompeii, was not actually written by an
eyewitness.

This is an argument:
1. No one living in Pompeii could have survived the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
2. The lava was flowing too fast
3. There was nowhere to go to escape it in time
4. > this account of the eruption, which claims to have been written by an
eyewitness living in Pompeii, was not actually written by an eyewitness.

11. Top women tennis players are unhappy that their prize money is significantly less
than that paid to top male players in the same competition. They feel that they are
being unequally treated. But the difference in prize money is entirely reasonable as
male players have to win three out of five sets to take the match whereas women
only have to win two sets out of three.

This is an argument:
1. Male players have to win three out of five sets to take the match
2. Women only have to win two sets out of three.

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3. The difference in prize money is entirely reasonable

12. Freedom of the press is the most important of our constitutionally guaranteed
freedoms. Without it, our other freedoms would be immediately threatened.
Furthermore, it provides the fulcrum for the advancement of new freedoms.

This is an argument:
1. Without freedom of press, other freedoms would be immediately threatened.
2. It provides the fulcrum for the advancement of new freedoms.
3. Freedom of the press is the most important of our constitutionally guaranteed
freedoms.

13. A person never becomes truly self-reliant. Even though he deals effectively with
things, he is necessarily dependent on others who have taught him to do so. They
have selected the things he is depended upon and determined the kinds and degree
of dependencies.

This is an argument:
1. Even though he deals effectively with things, he is necessarily dependent on
others who have taught him to do so.
2. They have selected the things he is depended upon and determined the kinds
and degree of dependencies.
3. A person never becomes truly self-reliant

14. Truth is central to justice, and the discovery of truth requires a searching inquiry. In
criminal justice, this is the investigation, which is not only the path to truth but also to
accountability (or exoneration). The fairness, effectiveness, rigour, integrity, and
speed of an investigation naturally determine whether justice will be done in any
particular case – criminal or otherwise.

This is not an argument – an explanation of criminal justice and the process.

Can also be an argument:

1. Truth is central to justice, and the discovery of truth requires a searching inquiry.
In criminal justice, this is the investigation, which is not only the path to truth but
also to accountability (or exoneration).
2. The fairness, effectiveness, rigour, integrity, and speed of an investigation
naturally determine whether justice will be done in any particular case – criminal
or otherwise.

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15. Getting poor people off the welfare rolls requires that we modify their behavior. The
vast majority of people on welfare are high school dropouts, single parents, or
people who abuse alcohol and drugs. These behavior patterns frustrate any desire
poor people may have to get a job and improve their condition in life.

This is an argument:
1. The vast majority of people on welfare are high school dropouts, single parents,
or people who abuse alcohol and drugs.
2. These behavior patterns frustrate any desire poor people may have to get a job
and improve their condition in life.
3. Getting poor people off the welfare rolls requires that we modify their behavior.

Below is a set of exercises in reasoning. Each one has an answer that is

deducible from the information provided. Write down your reasoning as fully as
you can.

A B C

Apples Pears Apples &

Only Only Pears

4. You are given three boxes of fruits, one box with only apples, one box with only
pears, and one box with both apples and pears. The boxes have labels that
describe their contents, but none of these labels is on the right box. Can you, by
taking only ONE piece of fruit from ONE box, determine what each of the boxes
contains?

Since none of these labels are on the right box, the key point is that all labels
must swap.

Pick a fruit from box C

Option 1: If you pick an Apple

- Correct labels: Apples only and Apples & Pears.
- Since all labels are wrong, Box C label can only be Pears only or Apples only.
- Thus, Box C new label should be Apples only by elimination.

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- Change Box A to Pears Only

- Change Box B to Apples & Pears

Option 2: If you pick a Pear

- Correct labels: Pears only and Apples & Pears.
- Since all labels are wrong, Box C label can only be Pears only or Apples only.
- Thus, Box C new label should be Pears only by elimination.
- Change Box A to Apples & Pears Only
- Change Box B to Apples only

5. There are 3 white hats and 2 red hats in a box. Three men, A, B, and C, each
reach into the box and place one of the hats on his own head. They cannot see
what colour hat they have chosen, but, with the exception of C who is blind,
each can see the hats on the other two. When A is asked if he knows the colour
of the hat he is wearing, he says no. When B is asked if he knows the colour of
the hat he is wearing, he says no. But when C is asked if he knows the colour of
the hat he is wearing he says yes and gives the correct answer. Assuming that
C is not guessing, what colour hat is he wearing and how does he know?

Facts:
There are 3 white hats and 2 red hats in the box
A and B can see the hats on the other two but could not make a guess:
 B and C does not equal to 2 red hats (Since A would be able to guess)
 A and C does not equal to 2 red hats (Since B would be able to guess)
 Combinations are 2 white hats or 1 white hat & 1 red hat

Thus, A’s silence tells us that there are either 2 white hats or 1 white hat & 1 red
hat for B and C. When B looks at C, if C was wearing red, then he would know
that he must be wearing white as they both can’t be wearing red (A would know).
B’s silence further tells us that C must be wearing white forbidding him to guess.
Since C is the last to guess and assuming that he thought of all these, he would
get it correct.

6. In Country X, there are two kinds of people, knights and knaves. Knights always
tell the truth and knaves always lie. You meet three people, A, B, and C, each of
whom is either a knight or a knave. A and B make the following statements”

A said: All of us are knaves

B said: Exactly one of us is a knight.

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What are A, B and C?

Firstly, person A cannot be a knight, this is because knights always tell the truth,
so
if he were a knight, he would say so. Thus, A is knave. Since A also cannot tell the
truth, there are either one or two knights amongst B and C.

Thus, what B said must be the truth and he is a knight, which makes C, a knave.
- If he was a knave and made that statement, A and B would be knaves and he
would be speaking the truth.

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