Question 1

Generally speaking, an argument is said to be _______ when it succeeds in showing that a statement is worthy of acceptance.
A) good
B) strong
C) valid
D) sound

Accepted Answer

A

Question 2

A deductively valid argument cannot have _______ premises and a _______ conclusion.
A) true; false
B) false; false
C) false; true
D) true; true

Accepted Answer

In a deductively valid argument, if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true. Therefore, it cannot have true premises and a false conclusion.

Question 3

An independent premise offers support to a conclusion
A) with the help of another premise.
B) without the help of any other premises.
C) with implied premises.
D) without implied premises.

Accepted Answer

An independent premise supports a conclusion on its own, without needing any other premises to bolster its argument.

Question 4

How is the argument form known as modus tollens symbolized?
A) If p, then q. q. Therefore, p.
B) If p, then q. If q, then r. Therefore, if p, then r.
C) Either p or q. Not p. Therefore, q.
D) If p, then q. Not q. Therefore, not p.

Accepted Answer

Modus tollens is symbolized as "If p, then q. Not q. Therefore, not p." This logical form argues that if the consequent of a conditional statement is false, then the antecedent must also be false.

Question 5

An argument with this form-"If p, then q. If q, then r. Therefore, if p, then r"-is known as
A) modus tollens.
B) hypothetical syllogism.
C) modus ponens.
D) disjunctive syllogism.

Accepted Answer

This argument form is known as a hypothetical syllogism, which connects two conditional statements to form a conclusion that if the first condition is true, then the final condition must also be true.

Question 6

This argument-"If you're eighteen, you're eligible to vote. But you're only seventeen. You're not eligible to vote"-is
A) invalid.
B) strong.
C) valid.
D) weak.

Accepted Answer

The argument is invalid because the conclusion does not follow from the premises. The premises state that if you're eighteen, you're eligible to vote, and that you're only seventeen. However, these premises do not logically lead to the conclusion that you're not eligible to vote.

Question 7

A deductive argument made up of three statements-two premises and a conclusion-is called a
A) disjunction.
B) hypothetical.
C) conditional.
D) syllogism.

Accepted Answer

A syllogism is a form of deductive reasoning that consists of two premises followed by a conclusion, making it the correct answer.

Question 8

Detailed argument diagramming is always helpful in assessing arguments.

Accepted Answer

While detailed argument diagramming can be helpful in understanding and assessing the structure and components of arguments, it is not always necessary or helpful for every type of argument or for every individual's process of assessment. Some arguments may be straightforward enough to assess without detailed diagramming, and some people may find other methods of analysis more effective.

Question 9

The argument form known as affirming the consequent is not valid.

Accepted Answer

Affirming the consequent is a logical fallacy where one assumes that because the consequent is true, the antecedent must also be true, which is not a valid form of argumentation.

Question 10

Persuading people to agree with you is not the same as presenting them with a good argument.

Accepted Answer

Persuading someone often involves emotional appeal, rhetoric, or social pressure, whereas presenting a good argument relies on logical reasoning and evidence.

Question 11

A deductively valid argument is such that its conclusion must be true regardless of the truth of its premises.

Accepted Answer

A deductively valid argument is one where if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true; it does not guarantee the truth of the premises themselves.

Question 12

Argument forms are not distinct from argument content.

Accepted Answer

Argument forms refer to the structure or pattern of reasoning, while argument content involves the specific information or premises within that structure.

Question 13

When diagramming an argument, the first step is to make a note of any premise or conclusion indicator words.

Accepted Answer

Identifying premise or conclusion indicator words helps in distinguishing the premises from the conclusion, which is essential for accurately diagramming an argument.

Question 14

If a deductively valid argument has a false conclusion, you can infer that at least one of the premises is false.

Accepted Answer

In a deductively valid argument, if the conclusion is false, it necessarily follows that at least one of the premises must be false, because in a valid argument, it is impossible for the conclusion to be false if all the premises are true.

Question 15

Affirming the antecedent is another name for modus ponens.

Accepted Answer

Affirming the antecedent is a logical fallacy, while modus ponens is a valid rule of inference.

Question 16

The counterexample method is used to determine whether an argument is valid or invalid.

Accepted Answer

The counterexample method involves finding a specific case or example that contradicts the conclusion of an argument, thereby showing the argument to be invalid.

Question 17

The second part of a conditional statement is known as the antecedent.

Accepted Answer

The second part of a conditional statement is known as the consequent; the first part is the antecedent.

Question 18

Only a small portion of an argumentative passage may contain statements that serve as the premises and conclusion.

Accepted Answer

In an argumentative passage, the premises and conclusion are the core components that structure the argument, but they may only make up a small portion of the text, with the rest being background information, explanations, or elaborations.

Question 19

The kind of support that a deductive argument can give a conclusion is absolute.

Accepted Answer

In a deductive argument, if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true, providing absolute support to the conclusion.

Question 20

Inductively strong arguments are said to be truth-preserving because of the way they guarantee the truth of their conclusions.

Accepted Answer

Inductively strong arguments do not guarantee the truth of their conclusions; instead, they make their conclusions more probable or likely based on the premises.

Quiz 3: Making Sense of Arguments

Generally speaking, an argument is said to be _______ when it succeeds in showing that a statement is worthy of acceptance.

A deductively valid argument cannot have _ premises and a _ conclusion.

An independent premise offers support to a conclusion

How is the argument form known as modus tollens symbolized?

An argument with this form-"If p, then q. If q, then r. Therefore, if p, then r"-is known as

This argument-"If you're eighteen, you're eligible to vote. But you're only seventeen. You're not eligible to vote"-is

A deductive argument made up of three statements-two premises and a conclusion-is called a