Symbolic Logic

TESTING ARGUMENT VALIDITY

USING TRUTH TABLES
 A visual tool used to test the validity
of every truth-functional argument

TRUTH Organizes information to list all

TABLE possible scenarios from provided
premises

Understand the logical symbols

used and the basic statements
that make up the argument.
 LOGICAL SYMBOLS
Negation - Curl or Tilde
“It is not the case that p…,” and may

~
be read as “not-p”.
Conjunction – Dot
“And”. It connects statements
Disjunction
conjunctively. – Wedge

●
“Or”. The symbol
Implication " ∨ " signifies inclusi
– Horseshoe
ve
"If .disjunction
. . , then . . . .“
The ⊃ symbol is used to symbolize
a relationship called material
implication

∨ ⊃
 Truth Table
How constructed
If Romeo loves Juliet, then Romeo will marry Juliet First premise

Romeo loves Juliet Second premise

Therefore, Romeo will marry Juliet Conclusion

Identify the
first premise,
second
premise, third
premise…
 Truth Table
How constructed

Romeo loves Juliet -p

Romeo will marry Juliet -q

1 2

Identify the
Use a variable
first premise,
(p or q) to
second
represent each
premise, third
basic statement
premise…
 Truth Table
How constructed

Romeo loves Juliet -p

Romeo will marry Juliet -q

If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet. (first premise)
p q
Romeo loves Juliet (second premise)
p
Therefore, Romeo will marry Juliet (conclusion)
q
 Truth Table
How constructed
If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet.
p q p⊃q
Romeo loves Juliet
p p
Therefore, Romeo will marry Juliet
q
∴q
1 2 3

Identify the Rewrite the

Use a variable
first premise, argument using
(p or q) to
second logical
represent each
premise, third connectives.
basic statement
premise…
 Truth Table
How constructed

1 2 3 4

Identify the Rewrite the

Use a variable Determine all
first premise, argument using
(p or q) to possible substitution
second logical
represent each instances and set up
premise, third connectives.
basic statement the truth table
premise…
 Truth Table
How constructed
Possible substitution instances for arguments with only 2
different statements:

Where p is true and q is true

Where p is true and q is false

Where p is false and q is true

Where p is false and q is false

 Truth Table
How constructed
Set up the truth table:
p q p⊃q
p is true and q is true
T T
p is true and q is false
T F
p is false and q is true
F T
p is false and q is false
F F
 Truth Table
How constructed

Fill in the truth

table
 Truth Table
How constructed
First Premise: If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet
p ⊃ q
p q p⊃q
T T T
T F F
F T T
F F T
 Truth Table
How constructed
Second Premise: Romeo loves Juliet
p
p q p⊃q p
T T T T
T F F T
F T T F
F F T F
 Truth Table
How constructed
Third Premise: Romeo will marry Juliet
q
p q p⊃q p q
T T T T T
T F F T F
F T T F T
F F T F F
 Truth Table
How constructed

5 6

Fill in the truth Determine if the logical

table from left to argument is valid or invalid
right
 Truth Table
How constructed
Invalid if and
only if it has at
least one substitution
Valid if and only if instance
it has no substitution with true premises
instances with true and a false
premises and a false conclusion. True premises
conclusion. and false
conclusion
True premises
and true
conclusion
 Truth Table
How constructed
1st Premise 2nd Premise Conclusion

p q p⊃q p q
T T T T T
T F F T F
F T T F T
F F T F F
Are the premises true? yes
Is the conclusion true? yes
 Truth Table
How constructed

If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet.

Romeo does not love Juliet

Therefore, Romeo will not marry Juliet

 Truth Table
How constructed
Romeo loves Juliet -p

Romeo will marry Juliet -q

If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet. (first premise)
p ⊃ q
Romeo does not love Juliet (second premise)
~p
Therefore, Romeo will not marry Juliet (conclusion)
~q
 Truth Table
How constructed
If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet. (first premise)
p ⊃ q
Romeo does not love Juliet (second premise)
~p
Therefore, Romeo will not marry Juliet (conclusion)
~q p⊃q
~p
∴~q
 Truth Table
How constructed
First Premise: If Romeo loves Juliet then Romeo will marry Juliet.
p ⊃ q
p q p⊃q
T T T
T F F
F T T
F F T
 Truth Table
How constructed
Second Premise: Romeo does not love Juliet
~p
p q p⊃q ~p
T T T F
T F F F
F T T T
F F T T
 Truth Table
How constructed
Third Premise: Romeo will not marry Juliet
~q
p q p⊃q ~p ~q
T T T F F
T F F F T
F T T T F
F F T T T
 Truth Table
How constructed
1st Premise 2nd Premise Conclusion

p q p⊃q ~p ~q
T T T F F
T F F F T
F T T T F
F F T T T
Are there any bad rows?
Yes
Thank you