SKL1353 / CTS 1204 CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

TUTORIAL TASKS WEEK 5

A.
Determine which of the following are arguments and which are not. (Don’t worry about whether the
arguments are good or bad; just distinguish the arguments from the non-arguments.) Then for each
of the arguments, state the conclusion.

1. Three reliable witnesses saw the defendant in New York just one hour before the murder took place
in Los Angeles. There’s no way the defendant could be guilty of the murder. Besides, the defendant
had no reason to kill the guy—they were good friends.

2. You guys charged too much for fixing my car. It only needed new spark plugs, which are fairly
Inexpensive and are easy to install. So I don’t think I should have to pay this outrageous repair bill.

3. I am not paying that repair bill! I may have to hire a lawyer, I may have to call the state attorney
general’s office, maybe my credit rating will be ruined, perhaps they’ll sue me. I don’t care what
happens; I’m still not paying.

4. I like the way the Modern Jazz Quartet plays. They have a cool, tight, almost dispassionate style. It
projects a sense of tremendous energy being held tautly in check. And the drums, bass, vibes, and
piano work together so perfectly that sometimes it is impossible to tell where one stops and the
other starts.

5. To be successful in your critical thinking course, it is important to do as many exercises as possible.

It would also help a lot to read the chapters in the text, perhaps even a couple of times. And
attending class regularly wouldn’t hurt.

6. Last year there was an increase in gasoline prices in July, and there was also an increase in July the
year before that, and the year before that: in fact, every year of the last decade there has been a
significant jump in gasoline prices during the month of July. So you can expect to pay more for
gasoline this year in July.

7. When hitting a baseball, you should start with your back elbow up; then swing down. Keep your
back foot stationary, and don’t lunge at the ball, and be sure to follow through with your swing. And
above all: Keep your eye on the ball.

8. If the recession continues, then there will be fewer jobs next year. And the recession is continuing,
so clearly next year there will be fewer jobs.

P.Gopala Krishnan/ CTS/ APR 2020

9. All Liverpool fans hate the MU team. So, Brenda must hate the MU team, because Brenda is
certainly a Liverpool fan.

10. This year Northern State University had a tuition increase, and there was also a tuition increase last
year, and the year before that, and the year before that. So very likely Northern State University
students will be hit with another increase in tuition next year.

11. Look, this is really simple. Either we are sure beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is
guilty, or we have to vote not guilty. Now obviously we can’t be sure beyond a reasonable doubt that
he is guilty, since the only witness admitted that he was drunk and isn’t sure what he saw. So we
have to vote not guilty.

12. If federal disaster relief had been well organized, then effective aid would have reached New
Orleans immediately after Katrina passed. But in fact effective aid did not reach New Orleans until
long after Katrina passed. So obviously federal disaster relief was not well organized.

13. I love Cajun music. It has a simple beat, but it’s always great for dancing—especially at a Cajun street
dance, when you mix plenty of wine with the music. If you have a great Cajun fiddler, who keeps a
steady rhythm with the fiddle, and you throw in a good accordion player and maybe a guitar, you
can dance till dawn. You haven’t partied until you’ve danced all night to a Cajun band down deep
in the Louisiana swamps.

14. Tharun must be tall. After all, Tharun is a basketball player, and all basketball players are tall.

15. If you believe in democracy, then you should vote. And of course you do believe in democracy, so
therefore you should vote.

B. For each of the following cases,

first state whether it is or is not an argument;
second, for each argument determine whether it is deductive or inductive;
third, for each of the arguments state the conclusion.
In at least one case it may be possible to interpret an argument as either deductive or inductive.

1. We have carefully surveyed 500 registered voters, chosen at random from throughout Ohio, on
whether they favor a law making it legal for ordinary citizens to carry concealed weapons. Of those
surveyed, 320 opposed legalizing concealed weapons, 140 supported legalizing concealed weapons,
and 40 were undecided or had no opinion. So obviously most of the registered voters in Ohio are
opposed to legalizing concealed weapons.

2. We had a great camping trip. The weather was warm during the day and nice and cool during the
evening, just right for a cozy campfire. The nights were so clear, you could almost reach out and
touch the stars. And late at night, warm in our sleeping bags, you could hear loons calling on the
lake, and owls calling from deep in the woods. It was perfect.

P.Gopala Krishnan/ CTS/ APR 2020

3. Mighty Casey will almost certainly strike out. For the bases are loaded, and Mighty Casey struck
out the last time he batted with the bases loaded, and he struck out the time before when he
batted with the bases loaded; and, in fact, the two times before that he struck out when the bases
were loaded.

4. Either the Chicago Cubs or the New York Mets will win the World Series. The New York Mets obviously
will not win the Series, since they have had lots of injuries, and their pitching and fielding
have both been weak. So the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series.

5. When examining arguments, the most important thing to do is this: First, pick out the conclusion.
After you have the conclusion clearly stated, then you should examine the structure of the argument,
and pick out any assumptions made by the argument. Next, you should look for any fallacies
committed, and the last step is to determine whether the premises are true.

6. In the last five World Series, the team that was at home for the first game won the Series. Therefore,
the Toronto Blue Jays are a good bet to win this World Series, since they are the home team for the
first game.

7. All Malaysian citizens have a right to vote in general elections. Jane is a Malaysian citizen; so
Jane has a right to vote in the general election.

8. There are currently three major danger areas for the outbreak of war: the Middle East, Eastern
Europe, and the border between India and Pakistan. Perhaps the most dangerous of those areas is
Eastern Europe, though there are certainly serious dangers elsewhere around the world.

9. Last quarter there were 18 students in the critical thinking course who never missed a class, and
they all passed the course. The quarter before that, 16 students attended every class, and all of them
passed also. So if you attend every class this quarter, you will pass the course.

10. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is a simple case. Clearly Selena Skowron is not guilty of
robbing the Detroit National Bank. The Detroit National Bank was robbed at noon on March 3,
1996. If Selena Skowron was in Cleveland at noon on that day, then she could not be guilty of
robbing the Detroit National Bank. And she certainly was in Cleveland at noon of that day, as was
proven by the testimony of four reliable witnesses.

P.Gopala Krishnan/ CTS/ APR 2020