Deck 4: Logic: Probability and Inductive Reasoning

Question 1

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: The government should abolish youth rates. There is no evidence that they work to increase youth employment, and they are unfair. If they don

A) There is no evidence that youth rates increase youth employment.
B) The government should abolish youth rates.
C) Youth rates are unfair to the young.
D) If youth rates are unfair to the young, they should be abolished.

Answer 1

Youth rates are unfair to the young.

Question 2

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: Everyone who smokes puts themselves at a higher risk of developing lung cancer. So because Bob smokes 5 packs a day, he has a higher risk than a normal person of developing lung cancer. You have to be an idiot to smoke if this is true.

A) If smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, all people who smoke are idiots.
B) If you smoke, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer.
C) Bob smokes 5 packs of cigarettes a day.
D) Bob has a higher risk of developing lung cancer than a normal person.

Answer 2

If smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, all people who smoke are idiots.

Question 3

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: If General Custer never really made a "last stand" at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, then the "Custer myth" is actually a myth. In fact, this is correct, since the indians basically swept over Custer

A) The indian forces swept over the 7th Cavalry like a tsunami.
B) General Custer was in command of the 7th Cavalry.
C) Sitting Bull correctly prophesied that the indians would win.

Answer 3

Sitting Bull correctly prophesied that the indians would win.

Question 4

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: It would be suicidal to send the battlecruiser HMS Hood to intercept the German battleship Bismarck, named for the famous "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck. Battlecruisers have insufficient armour to withstand plunging shellfire from a capital ship. The decision of the Admiralty to send the Hood to intercept the Bismarck is suicidal.

A) The Bismarck was named after Otto von Bismarck.
B) HMS Hood is a battlecruiser.
C) Battlecruisers have insufficient armour to withstand plunging shellfire from capital ships.
D) It would be suicidal to send the Hood to intercept the Bismarck.

Question 5

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: If Tokugawa Ieyasu had not triumphed at the Battle of Sekigahara, Japan would not have been subject to the Shogunate for over 250 years until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. But the Shogunate did rule Japan for that long, so he must have won that battle. But Ieyasu would not have won if several of the opposing generals had not changed sides during the battle.

A) The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan for over 250 years.
B) Ieyasu would not have won the Battle of Sekigahara if several of the opposing generals had not changed sides during the battle.
C) If Ieyasu had not won at Sekigahara, Japan would have not been subject to the Shogunate for over 250 years.
D) Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara.

Question 6

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: The Kobayashi Maru scenario is impossible to beat, so if anyone beat it, then they must have cheated in some way. James T. Kirk is the only person ever to have beaten the Kobayashi Maru scenario and he would do anything to win, so he must have cheated in some way.

A) The Kobayashi Maru scenario is impossible to beat.
B) James T. Kirk would do anything to win.
C) If anyone beat the Kobayashi Maru scenario, then that person cheated in some way.
D) James T. Kirk beat the Kobayashi Maru scenario.

Question 7

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: We can

A) Sidney Crosby plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
B) If we abolish fighting in ice hockey, then there will be no incentive for players to avoid trying to injure star players.
C) Hockey fans like to watch players fighting.
D) Fighting prevents players from trying to avoid star players.

Question 8

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: Wayne Gretzky was the greatest hockey player in the history of the game. Gretzky holds or shares 61 National Hockey League records, and holds the points record for the regular season at 2,875 points and for the playoffs at 382 points. The next highest scorer is Mark Messier with 1,887 points, nearly a thousand less than Gretzky.

A) Wayne Gretzky holds or shares 61 NHL records.
B) Mark Messier has 1,887 regular season points.
C) Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL regular season record at 2,875 points.
D) Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL record for playoff points with 382.

Question 9

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: There

A) Lee Harvey Oswald could not have assassinated President Kennedy on his own.
B) Suspicious figures were seen on the grassy knoll just before the assassination.
C) Oswald must have had help from co-conspirators.
D) If Oswald could not have assassinated Kennedy on his own, he must have had help from co-conspirators.

Question 10

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: Anyone who wants to become a werewolf needs to actually be bitten by a werewolf to become a werewolf. This is not the case with vampires, since you can become a vampire through a blood transfusion. But since there are no werewolves in existence, nobody who wants to become a werewolf can become a werewolf, so the preferences of aspiring werewolves will forever be frustrated.

A) If you are a werewolf, then you were bitten by another werewolf.
B) The preferences of aspiring werewolves will forever be frustrated.
C) No werewolves exist.
D) If you are a vampire, then you don

Question 11

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: The penalty for texting while driving should be a year in prison. Anything less would not be a deterrent to those idiots who text while they drive.

A) The penalty for texting while driving should be a year in prison.
B) Any penalty less than one year in prison will not deter people from texting while driving.
C) People who text while they drive are idiots.
D) We should do the least worst thing that will deter people from texting while driving.

Question 12

The following argument is valid or forceful. Identify the irrelevant premise: The BFG 9000 is the most awesome weapon in the history of video games. No other video game weapon does as much damage to as many enemies as the BFG 9000, and it is the only video game gun to shoot great green balls of fire. Clearly, a great green ball of fire shooting video game gun is better than any other video game weapon.

A) No other video game weapon does as much damage to as many enemies as the BFG 9000.
B) The BFG 9000 is the most awesome weapon in the history of video games.
C) The BFG 9000 is the only video game gun to shoot great green balls of fire.
D) Any video game weapon that shoots great green balls of fire is better than any video game weapon that doesn