Question 1

If a proposition is controversial, and people have different opinions about it, then the proposition:

Accepted Answer

A) is still either true or false, since it is a proposition 
B) is neither true nor false 
C) is necessarily false 
D) is necessarily true 
E) cannot truly be a proposition at all, but only a statement 
A) is still either true or false, since it is a proposition 
B) is neither true nor false 
C) is necessarily false 
D) is necessarily true 
E) cannot truly be a proposition at all, but only a statement

Question 2

What is the premise of the following argument? Everyone enjoys a good run in the park, even though many people will complain that it is exhausting.

Accepted Answer

A) everyone enjoys a good run in the park 
B) many people will complain 
C) many people will complain that a run in the park is exhausting 
D) a run in the park is exhausting 
E) There is no premise, since this is not an argument at all. 
A) everyone enjoys a good run in the park 
B) many people will complain 
C) many people will complain that a run in the park is exhausting 
D) a run in the park is exhausting 
E) There is no premise, since this is not an argument at all.

Question 3

If there are two valid arguments, can one of them be more valid than the other?

Accepted Answer

A) No, because every argument is valid in its own way. 
B) No, because there are no degrees of validity. 
C) Yes, because one might make more sense than the other. 
D) Yes, because one might have a truer conclusion than the other. 
E) Yes, because one might have more premises than the other. 
A) No, because every argument is valid in its own way. 
B) No, because there are no degrees of validity. 
C) Yes, because one might make more sense than the other. 
D) Yes, because one might have a truer conclusion than the other. 
E) Yes, because one might have more premises than the other.

Question 4

Which of the following is an explanation?

Accepted Answer

A) Since the company is doing well, I will give my employees raises. 
B) Since the spaceship crashed in Roswell, that is where the aliens will want to build their embassy. 
C) Since the dance studio was established, it has never produced a professional dancer. 
D) Since the future cannot be known, no one truly has the gift of fortune-telling. 
E) Since these stray dogs have been neutered, they are someone's pets. 
A) Since the company is doing well, I will give my employees raises. 
B) Since the spaceship crashed in Roswell, that is where the aliens will want to build their embassy. 
C) Since the dance studio was established, it has never produced a professional dancer. 
D) Since the future cannot be known, no one truly has the gift of fortune-telling. 
E) Since these stray dogs have been neutered, they are someone's pets.

Question 5

Which of the following is a deductive argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Grape juice is similar to orange juice, and orange juice is healthy.So grape juice is healthy too. 
B) The last twenty cars I've seen in this town were German.So all cars in this town must be German. 
C) If robbery had been the motive, the money would have been taken.But the money was not taken.So robbery was not the motive. 
D) Cold fronts usually bring rain.A cold front is moving in.Therefore, it will rain tomorrow. 
E) Oliver is a really nice guy and has many friends.This is probably because his parents did a great job of raising him. 
A) Grape juice is similar to orange juice, and orange juice is healthy.So grape juice is healthy too. 
B) The last twenty cars I've seen in this town were German.So all cars in this town must be German. 
C) If robbery had been the motive, the money would have been taken.But the money was not taken.So robbery was not the motive. 
D) Cold fronts usually bring rain.A cold front is moving in.Therefore, it will rain tomorrow. 
E) Oliver is a really nice guy and has many friends.This is probably because his parents did a great job of raising him.

Question 6

In argument diagrams, arrows are drawn:

Accepted Answer

A) between two premises 
B) between two conclusions 
C) beneath all individual propositions 
D) from a conclusion to its premises 
E) from premises to their conclusion 
A) between two premises 
B) between two conclusions 
C) beneath all individual propositions 
D) from a conclusion to its premises 
E) from premises to their conclusion

Question 7

If we evaluate an argument and find that it is a bad argument, can the conclusion still be true?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, but only if the premises are also true. 
B) Yes, but the argument would not demonstrate its truth. 
C) Yes, but only if the premises have the proper logical relation to the conclusion. 
D) No, because it is the conclusion of a bad argument. 
E) No, because of the law of discounted conclusions. 
A) Yes, but only if the premises are also true. 
B) Yes, but the argument would not demonstrate its truth. 
C) Yes, but only if the premises have the proper logical relation to the conclusion. 
D) No, because it is the conclusion of a bad argument. 
E) No, because of the law of discounted conclusions.

Question 8

What is the premise of the following argument? As a result of the fact that dogs are colorblind, your dog will not be able to distinguish the red bowl from the blue one.

Accepted Answer

A) dogs are colorblind 
B) your dog will not be able to distinguish the red bowl from the blue one 
C) the two bowls are red and blue 
D) your dog will need to distinguish between two bowls 
E) There is no conclusion, since this is not an argument at all. 
A) dogs are colorblind 
B) your dog will not be able to distinguish the red bowl from the blue one 
C) the two bowls are red and blue 
D) your dog will need to distinguish between two bowls 
E) There is no conclusion, since this is not an argument at all.

Question 9

The diagramming method in the text allows us to:

Accepted Answer

A) see how many concepts are involved in each proposition 
B) see the steps that lead from premises to conclusion 
C) determine the truth of every proposition in the argument 
D) determine the truth of the conclusion 
E) determine the truth of the premises 
A) see how many concepts are involved in each proposition 
B) see the steps that lead from premises to conclusion 
C) determine the truth of every proposition in the argument 
D) determine the truth of the conclusion 
E) determine the truth of the premises

Question 10

Dependent premises:

Accepted Answer

A) each offer a separate line of support for a conclusion 
B) are accepted by some listeners, but not others, depending on their beliefs 
C) work together to make a single argument for a conclusion 
D) are premises that may or may not be true 
E) are premises for which we don't yet know the conclusion 
A) each offer a separate line of support for a conclusion 
B) are accepted by some listeners, but not others, depending on their beliefs 
C) work together to make a single argument for a conclusion 
D) are premises that may or may not be true 
E) are premises for which we don't yet know the conclusion

Question 11

Which of the following premises provides the strongest support for the conclusion that Xula Cola tastes better than Zango Cola?

Accepted Answer

A) People chose Xula twice as often in a blind taste test. 
B) Xula contains more sugar. 
C) Zango isn't available as a diet soft drink. 
D) Xula has been around longer. 
E) Xula has higher sales than Zango. 
A) People chose Xula twice as often in a blind taste test. 
B) Xula contains more sugar. 
C) Zango isn't available as a diet soft drink. 
D) Xula has been around longer. 
E) Xula has higher sales than Zango.

Question 12

An implicit premise:

Accepted Answer

A) never belongs to a deductive argument 
B) sometimes belongs to a deductive argument, sometimes to an inductive argument 
C) always belongs to an inductive argument 
D) always belongs to a deductive argument 
E) never belongs to an argument at all 
A) never belongs to a deductive argument 
B) sometimes belongs to a deductive argument, sometimes to an inductive argument 
C) always belongs to an inductive argument 
D) always belongs to a deductive argument 
E) never belongs to an argument at all

Question 13

Can there be implicit premises in more than one step of an argument?

Accepted Answer

A) No, because all implicit premises must belong to the same step. 
B) No, because arguments with more than one step may never have any implicit premises at all. 
C) No, because that would dilute the connection between the explicit premises and the conclusion. 
D) Yes, because there would still be enough explicit information to follow the flow of the argument. 
E) Yes, because if there is an implicit premise in one step, there must also be an implicit premise in every other step. 
A) No, because all implicit premises must belong to the same step. 
B) No, because arguments with more than one step may never have any implicit premises at all. 
C) No, because that would dilute the connection between the explicit premises and the conclusion. 
D) Yes, because there would still be enough explicit information to follow the flow of the argument. 
E) Yes, because if there is an implicit premise in one step, there must also be an implicit premise in every other step.

Question 14

Does every written paragraph include an argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, because every paragraph is written by a human, and humans are rational. 
B) Yes, because any string of sentences constitutes an argument. 
C) No, because some paragraphs have other purposes, such as description. 
D) No, because while all paragraphs have conclusions, they don't all have premises. 
E) No, because arguments cannot be written into paragraph form. 
A) Yes, because every paragraph is written by a human, and humans are rational. 
B) Yes, because any string of sentences constitutes an argument. 
C) No, because some paragraphs have other purposes, such as description. 
D) No, because while all paragraphs have conclusions, they don't all have premises. 
E) No, because arguments cannot be written into paragraph form.

Question 15

Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Inductive arguments are judged by their soundness. 
B) Deductive arguments are judged by their cogency. 
C) Inductive and deductive arguments can both be judged by soundness and cogency. 
D) Soundness and cogency have the same meaning. 
E) Deductive arguments are judged by soundness, and inductive arguments are judged by cogency. 
A) Inductive arguments are judged by their soundness. 
B) Deductive arguments are judged by their cogency. 
C) Inductive and deductive arguments can both be judged by soundness and cogency. 
D) Soundness and cogency have the same meaning. 
E) Deductive arguments are judged by soundness, and inductive arguments are judged by cogency.

Question 16

Can an inductive argument and a deductive argument have the same conclusion?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, but only if the conclusion is false. 
B) Yes, but only if the inductive argument is a generalization. 
C) Yes. 
D) No, because every conclusion is either inductive or deductive, but not both. 
E) No, because inductive conclusions are very general, whereas deductive conclusions are very specific. 
A) Yes, but only if the conclusion is false. 
B) Yes, but only if the inductive argument is a generalization. 
C) Yes. 
D) No, because every conclusion is either inductive or deductive, but not both. 
E) No, because inductive conclusions are very general, whereas deductive conclusions are very specific.

Question 17

Which of the following is an inductive argument?

Accepted Answer

A) This porridge is not too hot, and it isn't too cold.So it is just right. 
B) Grandma does not have pointy teeth, but this person does, so this is not grandma. 
C) If the emperor were wearing clothes, he would not be cold.But he is cold, so the emperor is wearing no clothes. 
D) The first three times that the boy cried "wolf," there was no wolf.So there will never be a wolf when the boy cries "wolf." 
E) A wolf cannot blow down a brick house, and the third pig's house is made of bricks, so the wolf will not be able to blow it down. 
A) This porridge is not too hot, and it isn't too cold.So it is just right. 
B) Grandma does not have pointy teeth, but this person does, so this is not grandma. 
C) If the emperor were wearing clothes, he would not be cold.But he is cold, so the emperor is wearing no clothes. 
D) The first three times that the boy cried "wolf," there was no wolf.So there will never be a wolf when the boy cries "wolf." 
E) A wolf cannot blow down a brick house, and the third pig's house is made of bricks, so the wolf will not be able to blow it down.

Question 18

Which of the following is an argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Because I bought a gym membership, I will be much fitter by this time next year. 
B) Since the founding of this country, there have been 44 presidents. 
C) After the thief left, my jewelry was missing. 
D) Many North American species went extinct as a result of the saber-toothed cat. 
E) I have not spotted a red squirrel since I arrived at the park. 
A) Because I bought a gym membership, I will be much fitter by this time next year. 
B) Since the founding of this country, there have been 44 presidents. 
C) After the thief left, my jewelry was missing. 
D) Many North American species went extinct as a result of the saber-toothed cat. 
E) I have not spotted a red squirrel since I arrived at the park.

Question 19

What is the maximum number of implicit premises in an argument?

Accepted Answer

A) Every argument actually has an infinite number of implicit premises, but they usually aren't very important, so we ignore them. 
B) There is no maximum. 
C) 1 
D) 2 
E) 3 
A) Every argument actually has an infinite number of implicit premises, but they usually aren't very important, so we ignore them. 
B) There is no maximum. 
C) 1 
D) 2 
E) 3

Question 20

Does all knowledge come from direct observation?

Accepted Answer

A) Yes, because all knowable things can be directly observed. 
B) Yes, because only direct observation is trustworthy. 
C) Yes, because it can only come from our own direct observations or those of others. 
D) No, because some knowledge comes from reasoning. 
E) No, because no knowledge comes from direct observation. 
A) Yes, because all knowable things can be directly observed. 
B) Yes, because only direct observation is trustworthy. 
C) Yes, because it can only come from our own direct observations or those of others. 
D) No, because some knowledge comes from reasoning. 
E) No, because no knowledge comes from direct observation.

If a proposition is controversial, and people have different opinions about it, then the proposition:

What is the premise of the following argument? Everyone enjoys a good run in the park, even though many people will complain that it is exhausting.

If there are two valid arguments, can one of them be more valid than the other?

Which of the following is an explanation?

Which of the following is a deductive argument?

In argument diagrams, arrows are drawn:

If we evaluate an argument and find that it is a bad argument, can the conclusion still be true?

What is the premise of the following argument? As a result of the fact that dogs are colorblind, your dog will not be able to distinguish the red bowl from the blue one.

The diagramming method in the text allows us to:

Dependent premises:

Which of the following premises provides the strongest support for the conclusion that Xula Cola tastes better than Zango Cola?

An implicit premise:

Can there be implicit premises in more than one step of an argument?

Does every written paragraph include an argument?

Which of the following is true?

Can an inductive argument and a deductive argument have the same conclusion?

Which of the following is an inductive argument?

Which of the following is an argument?

What is the maximum number of implicit premises in an argument?

Does all knowledge come from direct observation?

Classification

Definitions

Propositions

Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Reasoning With Syllogisms

Propositional Logic-Propositions

Propositional Logic-Arguments

Predicate Logic

Inductive Generalizations

Argument by Analogy

Statistical Reasoning

Explanation

Probability

Filters

Exam 4: Argument Analysis

If a proposition is controversial, and people have different opinions about it, then the proposition:

What is the premise of the following argument? Everyone enjoys a good run in the park, even though many people will complain that it is exhausting.

If there are two valid arguments, can one of them be more valid than the other?

Which of the following is an explanation?

Which of the following is a deductive argument?

In argument diagrams, arrows are drawn:

If we evaluate an argument and find that it is a bad argument, can the conclusion still be true?

What is the premise of the following argument? As a result of the fact that dogs are colorblind, your dog will not be able to distinguish the red bowl from the blue one.

The diagramming method in the text allows us to:

Dependent premises:

Which of the following premises provides the strongest support for the conclusion that Xula Cola tastes better than Zango Cola?

An implicit premise:

Can there be implicit premises in more than one step of an argument?

Does every written paragraph include an argument?

Which of the following is true?

Can an inductive argument and a deductive argument have the same conclusion?

Which of the following is an inductive argument?

Which of the following is an argument?

What is the maximum number of implicit premises in an argument?

Does all knowledge come from direct observation?

Classification

Definitions

Propositions

Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Reasoning With Syllogisms

Propositional Logic-Propositions

Propositional Logic-Arguments

Predicate Logic

Inductive Generalizations

Argument by Analogy

Statistical Reasoning

Explanation

Probability

Filters