Which of the following is a sound argument?
A) "If the moon is made of cheese, then Barack Obama is the president of Mexico. The moon is made of cheese. Therefore, Barack Obama is the president of Mexico."
B) "Either Turkey is a country or New York is a country. New York is not a country. So Turkey must be a country."
C) "I have seen millions of black crows. Therefore, all crows must be black".
D) "If the Earth is flat, then John Kerry is president of the United States. The Earth is not flat. Therefore, John Kerry is not president of the United States."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Remember that a sound argument has all true premises and is deductively valid. So if even one premise is false, then the argument is not sound. Likewise, if the conclusion is false, then the argument is not sound. Some arguments may have all true premises and a true conclusion, but still not be sound, since the argument is not deductively valid. The truth of the conclusion must be guaranteed by the truth of the premises of a valid argument. If the premises merely give some support to the conclusion, then the argument is not valid.

Which of the Following Is a Sound Argument