Question 1

Which of the following are all premise indicators?
A) Hence, thus, implies that.
B) Accordingly, seeing that, inasmuch as.
C) For, given that, because.
D) As, consequently, because.
E) For the reason that, in that, wherefore.

Accepted Answer

Premise indicators are words that signal that a premise is being presented to support a particular argument or conclusion. In this case, all of the options contain at least one premise indicator, but only option C contains three premise indicators: "for," "given that," and "because."

Question 2

PART A All spies are covert operators, so all covert operators are risk takers, for all spies are risk takers.
Which of the following correctly expresses the form of this argument?  PART B
Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid?
A) C = cats, S = dogs, R = animals.
B) S = fish, R = mammals, C = animals.
C) S = dogs, C = mammals, R = animals.
D) R= dogs, C = cats, S = animals.
E) S = cats, C = animals, R = mammals.

Accepted Answer

The answer of PART A All spies are covert operators,...

Question 3

In the expression "If North Korea has nuclear weapons, then it poses a threat to world peace," the statement "It poses a threat to world peace" is called the:
A) Conditional.
B) Consequent.
C) Antecedent.
D) Explanandum.
E) Conclusion.

Accepted Answer

The statement "It poses a threat to world peace" is the consequent, which is the second part of a conditional statement. The antecedent is "If North Korea has nuclear weapons."

Question 4

Which of the following is a sufficient condition for making ice from fresh water?
A) Putting the water outside in the cold.
B) Putting the water into the freezer.
C) Pouring the water into an ice cube tray.
D) Lowering the temperature of the water below 40° F.
E) Lowering the temperature of the water to 20° F.

Accepted Answer

Lowering the temperature of the water to 20° F is a sufficient condition because water freezes at 32° F, so 20° F is well below the freezing point.

Question 5

Which of the following is a necessary condition for going for a swim?
A) Treading water.
B) Doing the breaststroke.
C) Holding your breath.
D) Getting into the water.
E) Doing the backstroke.

Accepted Answer

Getting into the water is necessary for going for a swim.

Question 6

If a deductive argument has false premises and a false conclusion, then we know:
A) Nothing as such about the argument's validity.
B) The argument is invalid.
C) The argument is valid.
D) The argument is weak.
E) The argument is uncogent.

Accepted Answer

The validity of a deductive argument is determined by its form, not the truth values of its premises or conclusion. An argument can have false premises and a false conclusion but still be valid if the conclusion logically follows from the premises.

Question 7

Author Tim LaHaye says that the rapture (when all righteous people will be miraculously lifted up to heaven) will occur in the not too distant future. Therefore, this event is sure to happen soon.
A) Inductive, strong.
B) Deductive, uncogent.
C) Deductive, invalid.
D) Inductive, weak.
E) Deductive, valid.

Accepted Answer

The argument is inductive because it makes a prediction based on a specific viewpoint or belief rather than a logically certain conclusion. It is considered weak because the prediction of the rapture happening soon is speculative and not necessarily supported by universally accepted evidence or reasoning.

Question 8

Which of the following are all arguments?
A) Reports, arguments from signs, arguments from authority.
B) Causal inferences, explanations, warnings.
C) Illustrations, conditional statements, pieces of advice.
D) Syllogisms, predictions, generalizations.
E) Arguments from analogy, explanations, illustrations.

Accepted Answer

All options listed under choice D are types of arguments. Syllogisms are deductive arguments, predictions are inductive arguments, and generalizations are arguments from examples or inductive arguments.

Question 9

An argument whose conclusion rests on the definition of a word used in the premises is:
A) A deductive argument.
B) A valid argument.
C) A sound argument.
D) A cogent argument.
E) An inductive argument.

Accepted Answer

An argument whose conclusion rests on the definition of a word used in the premises is a deductive argument, as the conclusion is drawn from the premises by logical reasoning.

Question 10

In the expression "Barack Obama was elected president because he capitalized on a bad economy," the statement "He capitalized on a bad economy" is called the:
A) Premise.
B) Consequent.
C) Explanans.
D) Conclusion.
E) Explanandum.

Accepted Answer

The statement "He capitalized on a bad economy" is an explanation of how Barack Obama was able to be elected president, so it is the explanans. The premise is the overall statement that leads to the conclusion. The consequent is the result of the premise, which in this case is that Barack Obama was elected president. The conclusion is the final statement that is supported by the premise and the explanans. The explanandum is the statement or phenomenon being explained, which in this case would be the election of Barack Obama.

Question 11

If malaria becomes drug resistant, then countless victims will perish. If malaria becomes drug resistant, then a major health crisis will erupt. Therefore, if a major health crisis erupts, then countless victims will perish.
A) Deductive, invalid.
B) Deductive, sound.
C) Inductive, strong.
D) Inductive, weak.
E) Deductive, valid.

Accepted Answer

The conclusion does not logically follow from the premises because the argument assumes that a major health crisis erupting is solely due to malaria becoming drug resistant. This is a logical fallacy known as affirming the consequent, making the argument deductively invalid.

Question 12

Which of the following are all deductive arguments?
A) Arguments from analogy, arguments based on signs, causal inferences.
B) Arguments from analogy, predictions, causal inferences.
C) Predictions, hypothetical syllogisms, arguments from authority.
D) Arguments based in mathematics, hypothetical syllogisms, generalizations.
E) Categorical syllogisms, arguments from definition, disjunctive syllogisms.

Accepted Answer

Deductive arguments are those where the conclusion logically follows from the premises with certainty. Categorical syllogisms, arguments from definition, and disjunctive syllogisms all fit this description, as they are structured in a way that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Question 13

All essay contests are challenges that promote thinking. All challenges that promote thinking are educational experiences. Thus, all essay contests are educational experiences.
A) Inductive, strong.
B) Deductive, invalid.
C) Inductive, weak.
D) Deductive, valid.
E) Inductive, cogent.

Accepted Answer

The argument begins with a deductive premise stating that all essay contests promote thinking. It then uses another deductive premise stating that all challenges that promote thinking are educational experiences. From these two premises, the conclusion is logically deduced that all essay contests are educational experiences. The argument is valid because the conclusion logically follows from the premises.

Question 14

The bumper sticker on that car says "Don't Waste Your Vote. Vote Libertarian." Therefore, it's clear that you should vote for Libertarian candidates in the next election.
A) Deductive, valid.
B) Deductive, invalid.
C) Inductive, weak.
D) Inductive, cogent.
E) Inductive, strong.

Accepted Answer

The argument is inductive and weak because it relies on a bumper sticker as evidence, which is not a strong or reliable source for making a decision about voting.

Question 15

PART A If deficits increase then the economy will stagnate. Thus, if deficits increase, then interest rates will rise, because if interest rates rise, then the economy will stagnate.
Which of the following correctly expresses the form of this argument?  PART B
Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid?
A) D = Tom Hanks is a man, E = Tom Hanks is a human, I = Tom Hanks is a woman.
B) D = dogs, I = mammals, E = animals.
C) D = Bob is a physician, E = Bob is a professional, I = Bob is a doctor.
D) D = dogs, E = animals, I = cats.
E) D = Halle Berry is an actor, E = Halle Berry is a woman, I = Halle Berry is a human.

Accepted Answer

The answer of PART A If deficits increase then the...

Question 16

An argument that concludes something is true because somebody has said so is:
A) A deductive argument.
B) An inductive argument.
C) A strong argument.
D) A valid argument.
E) A sound argument.

Accepted Answer

An argument that concludes something is true because somebody has said so is an example of an inductive argument, which relies on the probability of the conclusion being true based on evidence. It is not deductive, which would require premises to guarantee the truth of the conclusion. It is not necessarily strong, valid, or sound, as the conclusion may not be well-supported by the premise.

Question 17

Yuri Androvich is a blue-eyed Russian artist, and his paintings sell for over $10,000. Peter Roganov is also a blue-eyed Russian, and he just finished art school. Thus, his paintings should sell for over $10,000, too.
A) Inductive, strong.
B) Deductive, valid.
C) Inductive, cogent.
D) Deductive, invalid.
E) Inductive, weak.

Accepted Answer

The argument is inductive because it makes a generalization based on specific instances. However, it is weak because it assumes without sufficient evidence that the only relevant factors are being Russian, blue-eyed, and an artist, ignoring other potential factors like skill, fame, and experience.

Question 18

The Washington Post carried an article on the huge hurricane that struck the Caiman Islands. The Chicago Tribune is similar in its coverage to the Washington Post. Thus, the Chicago Tribune must have carried an article on that hurricane.
A) Deductive, sound.
B) Inductive, strong.
C) Deductive, invalid.
D) Deductive, valid.
E) Inductive, weak.

Accepted Answer

The argument is inductive because it makes a probable conclusion based on the similarity of coverage between two newspapers. It is considered strong because it is reasonable to expect similar news coverage in newspapers of similar scope and interest, but it does not guarantee the conclusion with certainty, hence not deductive.

Question 19

Maria is a hypochondriac. Therefore, she always worries about her health.
A) Inductive, strong.
B) Deductive, valid.
C) Inductive, weak.
D) Deductive, unsound.
E) Deductive, invalid.

Accepted Answer

This is a deductive argument because it makes a general claim about Maria (being a hypochondriac) and then deduces a specific conclusion (she always worries about her health) based on that general claim. The argument is valid because if the premises are true (Maria is a hypochondriac), then the conclusion (she always worries about her health) logically follows.

Question 20

Given that 2x - 1 = 13. It follows that x = 6.
A) Inductive, strong.
B) Deductive, invalid.
C) Deductive, valid.
D) Inductive, weak.
E) Deductive, sound.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given that 2x - 1 = 13....

Quiz 1: Basic Concepts

Which of the following are all premise indicators?

In the expression "If North Korea has nuclear weapons, then it poses a threat to world peace," the statement "It poses a threat to world peace" is called the:

Which of the following is a sufficient condition for making ice from fresh water?

Which of the following is a necessary condition for going for a swim?

If a deductive argument has false premises and a false conclusion, then we know:

Author Tim LaHaye says that the rapture (when all righteous people will be miraculously lifted up to heaven) will occur in the not too distant future. Therefore, this event is sure to happen soon.

Which of the following are all arguments?

An argument whose conclusion rests on the definition of a word used in the premises is:

In the expression "Barack Obama was elected president because he capitalized on a bad economy," the statement "He capitalized on a bad economy" is called the:

If malaria becomes drug resistant, then countless victims will perish. If malaria becomes drug resistant, then a major health crisis will erupt. Therefore, if a major health crisis erupts, then countless victims will perish.

Which of the following are all deductive arguments?

All essay contests are challenges that promote thinking. All challenges that promote thinking are educational experiences. Thus, all essay contests are educational experiences.

The bumper sticker on that car says "Don't Waste Your Vote. Vote Libertarian." Therefore, it's clear that you should vote for Libertarian candidates in the next election.

An argument that concludes something is true because somebody has said so is:

Yuri Androvich is a blue-eyed Russian artist, and his paintings sell for over $10,000. Peter Roganov is also a blue-eyed Russian, and he just finished art school. Thus, his paintings should sell for over $10,000, too.

The Washington Post carried an article on the huge hurricane that struck the Caiman Islands. The Chicago Tribune is similar in its coverage to the Washington Post. Thus, the Chicago Tribune must have carried an article on that hurricane.

Maria is a hypochondriac. Therefore, she always worries about her health.

Given that 2x - 1 = 13. It follows that x = 6.