Exam 1: Introducing Logic

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -The universe is cooling off, and we are made of wet and messy materials. So computers have an Advantage to us when it comes to evolution. That's because consciousness is just a matter of formal processes. And in computers, these formal processes can go on in substances that are much better able to survive.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -The government should not provide school vouchers. If they do, money will be directed away from the public schools. If the public schools have less money, they will deteriorate even further. And we don't want public schools to deteriorate.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -Some mules are donkeys. Some mules are horses. Hence, some donkeys are horses.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -All penguins are birds. All birds have wings. All winged creatures can fly. So, it follows that penguins can fly.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -All rectangles are rhombuses. All rhombuses are parallelograms. So, all rectangles are parallelograms.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -Understanding a language involves more than just manipulating a bunch of formal symbols. For, by virtue of implementing a formal computer program, I could behave exactly as if I understood Chinese. But I don't understand a word of Chinese. And if going through the appropriate computer program for understanding Chinese is not enough to give me an understanding of Chinese, then it is not enough to give any other digital computer an understanding of Chinese.

Regiment each of the following arguments into premise/conclusion form. -The government should not provide school vouchers. If they do, money will be directed away from the public schools. If the public schools have less money, they will deteriorate even further. And we don't want public schools to deteriorate.

Regiment each of the following arguments into premise/conclusion form. -The legalization of drugs is not unwise, because by legalizing drugs we would eliminate the drug trade. By legalizing drugs, we would rid our nation of all the violence that goes along with the illegal drug trade. Furthermore, the legalization of drugs is not immoral because it can be combined with a massive program of moral education. The legalization of drugs is neither unwise nor immoral.

Regiment each of the following arguments into premise/conclusion form. -Understanding a language involves more than just manipulating a bunch of formal symbols. For, by virtue of implementing a formal computer program, I could behave exactly as if I understood Chinese. But I don't understand a word of Chinese. And, if going through the appropriate computer program for understanding Chinese is not enough to give me an understanding of Chinese, then it is not enough to give any other digital computer an understanding of Chinese.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -Only white rats are used in genetic experiments. Ben is a rat used in a genetic experiment. So, Ben is white.

All koalas are bears. All bears hibernate in the winter. Hence, all koalas hibernate in the winter.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -The legalization of drugs is not unwise, because by legalizing drugs we would eliminate the drug trade. By legalizing drugs, we would rid our nation of all the violence that goes along with the illegal drug trade. Furthermore, the legalization of drugs is not immoral because it can be combined with a massive program of moral education. The legalization of drugs is neither unwise nor immoral.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -If we want to combat AIDS, then we must prevent drug users from sharing dirty needles. If we must prevent the sharing of dirty needles, then the ban on selling needles should be lifted. And obviously, we do want to combat AIDS. The ban on selling hypodermic needles should be lifted.

Some theories of truth are inflationary. Some theories of truth are deflationary. All theories of truth include the T-schema. So, all deflationary theories of truth include the T-schema.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -There is no purely logical analysis of conditionals. A counterfactual conditional is true if a certain connection obtains between the antecedent and the consequent. But the consequent seldom follows from the antecedent by logic alone. The assertion that a connection holds is made on the presumption that certain relevant circumstances not stated in the antecedent obtain. Even if we Specify the particular relevant conditions, the connection obtaining will not be a logical one, but a causal one.

Some mules are donkeys. Some mules are horses. Hence, some donkeys are horses.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -Cats have whiskers. Cats have toes. So, cats have whiskers and toes.

Determine whether each of the following arguments is intuitively valid or invalid. For valid arguments, determine whether they are sound (if you can). -All eagles are birds. Eagles are endangered species. So, birds are endangered species.

Regiment each of the following arguments into premise/conclusion form. -There is no purely logical analysis of conditionals. A counterfactual conditional is true if a certain connection obtains between the antecedent and the consequent. But the consequent seldom follows from the antecedent by logic alone. The assertion that a connection holds is made on the presumption that certain relevant circumstances not stated in the antecedent obtain. Even if we specify the particular relevant conditions, the connection obtaining will not be a logical one, but a causal one.

Identify the conclusion of each of the following arguments. Remember to remove any conclusion indicators. -We should be committed to the entities hypothesized by the mathematics in question. There exist genuine mathematical explanations of empirical phenomena. We should be committed to the theoretical posits hypothesized by these mathematical explanations. (Paolo Mancosu)