TYPES OF

TAUTOLOGIES
& FALLACIES
Group 14
 Objectives:
K.Defines tautology and fallacy
S.Illustrates the different types of tautologies and
fallacies

A.Shows respect and open mindedness of the ideas

of others in dealing with arguments.
Pre-Assessment:
Arrange the following scrambled words.
ylguotoat -
ildav mrgatseun-
acotgilatoul etmntaset-
acylfla-
Pre-Assessment:
Arrange the following scrambled words.
ylguotoat - Tautology
ildav mrgatseun-Valid Arguments
acotgilatoul etmntaset- Tautological Statement
acylfla-Fallacy
 TAUTOLOGY
Definition:
A proposition that is always true is called
a tautology , a proposition that is always
false , is called contradiction
 A tautology is a proposition form that is always
true regardless of the trust values of the
individual statements substituted for its
propositional variables.A proposition whose
form is a tautology is called tautological
statement . A truth table shows how the truth
or falsity of a compound statement depends on
the truth or falsity of the simple statements
from which it’s constructed. Progress:
 A valid argument satisfies the
validity condition: that is,the
conclusion is true whenever the
premises p1,p2,. . . pn are all true.

Alternatively, the argument is valid

if the conditional
( p^ p^ … ^p ) q
Is a tautology.
 An argument ( p1^ p2^ … ^pn ) q which is not
valid is called a fallacy. In a fallacy, it is possible
for the premises to be true, while the cpnclusion q
is false.Tn this casae ,the conditional
(p1^ p2^ … ^pn ) q is not tautology.
 TYPES OF TAUTOLOGY
Let p,q and r be proposistions.
RULE OF PROPOSITIONAL STANDARD
INFERENCE FORM FORM

Rule of Simplification

Rule of Addition
 Modus Ponens

Modus of
Syllogism

Law of Syllogism

Rule of Disjunctive
Syllogism
Rule of Disjunctive
Syllogism

Rule of
Contradiction

Rule of Proof by
Cases
Example 1.Prove that the argument [ (p q) ^ p] q is valid.This
argument is known as Modus Ponens (or Rule of Detachment).

Solution.We only need to show that [ (p q) ^ p] q s a tautology.

p q p q (p q) ^ p [ (p q) ^ p] q

T T T T T

T F F F T

F T T F T

F F T F T
Example 2.Consider the argument below:
Argument A
If my alarm sounds,then I will wake up.
My alarm sounded.
Therefore, I woke up

Argument B
If there is limited freshwater supply,then we
should conserve water.
There is limited water supply.
Therefore, we should conserve water.
Argument C
Is General Antonio Luna is a National
Hero,the he died at the hands of the
Americans in 1899.

General Antonio Luna is a National Hero.

Therefore,General Antonio Luna died at the

hands of the Americans in 1899.
Solution.Note that they are all of the form [(p q)^p] q],or
in standard form

Hence,by Modus Ponens,argument A,B,and C are all

valid.However ,this does not mean that the conclusions are
true.Asserting that an argument is valid simply means that
the conclusion logically follows the premise.
 Fallacy
-an argument
(p^p^. . . ^p) q
Which id not valid is called fallacy.

In a fallacy,it is possible for the premise p1,p2, . . . ,pn to be

true while the conclusion q is false.

Equivalently,for this case ,the conditional

(p1^p2^. . . ^pn) q is not a tautology.
Table of Fallacies:
Let p,q, and be propositions.
RULES OF INFERENCE PROPOSITIONAL FORM STANDARD FORM

Fallacy of the

Converse

Fallacy of the Inverse

Affirming the Disjunct

 Fallacy of the
Consequent

Denying a Conjunct

Improper
Transposition
Example 3.Prove that the argument [ (p q)^ q] p is a fallacy.This is
known as the Fallacy of the Converse.
Solution.We show that [ (p-q)^ q]-p is not a tautology by means of a
truth table.
p q p-q (p-q)^q [(p-q)^q]p

T T T T T
T F F F T
F T T T F
F F T F T
 Since [(p q)^p] p is not a tautology,the argument is
invalid and is hence a fallacy.

Note that it is sufficient to find truth values of p and

q that will make the premises simultaneously true
but the conclusion false.We call such set pf values a
counterexample . In this case,the counterexample is
the case when p is false and q is true (see the third
row the truth table given).
Example 4:Show that the following
arguments are fallacies.

Argument A
If my alarm sounds,then I will wake up.

I woke up

Therefore, my alarm sounded

Argument B
If there is limited supply of
freshwater,then I will conserve water.

I will conserve water.

Therefore ,there is limited supply of

freshwater.
Post Test
A.Completion Test.Show that the propositional form p v~ p
is a tautologyand that the statement form p^~p is a
fallacy.Write your answer on the space provided.
p ~p pv~p p^~p

T F 1.________ 3.________

F T 2.________ 4.________
B.Give the propositional form of the
following arguments.

5.If General Antonio Luna Is a National

Hero,then he dies at the hands of the
Americans 1899.

Argument A
General Antonio Luna Is a National Hero

Therefore,General Luna died at the hands of

the Americans 1899.
6.If there is a limited supply of
freshwater,then I will conserve water.

Argument B
I will conserve water.

Therefore, there is a limited supply of

freshwater.
 Pre-Assessment
1. A compound proposition or argument that is not valid is called
A. Tautology C. Fallacy
B. Compound proposition D. Simple proposition
2. It is a compound statement that is always true regardless of the true values of the propositions that comprise
it.
A. Tautology C. Compound proposition
B. Fallacy D. Simple preposition
3. The three propositions below can be derived from the conditional proposition p→q. EXCEPT:
A. Converse: q-p C. Inverse:p-q
B. Contrapositive: -q-p D. Diverse: pva

4. Suppose p is true, q is false, and r is true. What is the truth value of the compound proposition (p^q)^r?
A. True C. Cannot be determined
B. False D. Either true or false

5.Suppose p is true, q is false, and r is true. What is the truth value of the compound proposition
(pvq)vr?
C. True C. Cannot be determined
D. False D. Either true or false