Everything

Question 1

Analytic, synthetic or contradictory?

Thrasymachus’ statement is false by definition b/c it is a synthetic statement.

Answer 1

It is a contradictory statement. Contradictory statements are false by definition because synthetic statements are neither true or false by definition, the statement is false by definition.

Question 2

Definition: Analytic statement

Answer 2

A statement whos truth depends merely on the meaning of the terms

Question 3

Definition: Vague expression

Answer 3

Lacks a precise meaning

Question 4

Definition:Grammatical Ambiguity

Answer 4

Arises from a confusing grammatical construction rather than the meaning of words

Question 5

Definition: Distributive use of a term

Answer 5

Refers to each and every member of a class

Question 6

Definition: Contradictory statement

Answer 6

A statement that is false by definition

Question 7

Definition: Synthetic statement

Answer 7

A statement whose truth or falsity does not depend merely on the meaning of the terms

Question 8

Definition: Standard usage

Answer 8

The way the word is used by competent speakers of the language

Question 9

Definition: Collective use of a term

Answer 9

Refers to the whole class rather than each and every member

Question 10

Definition: Modus Tollens

Answer 10

Also known as Denying the Consequent

Question 11

Definition: Sufficient condition

Answer 11

When the antecedent condition is true, the consequent must also be true

Question 12

Which one is Modus Ponens?

1. If you are a student of critical thinking, then you are studying applied logic. You are studying applied logic. Therefore you area student of critical thinking.
2. If you are a student of critical thinking, then you are studying applied logic. You are a student of critical thinking. Therefore, you are studying applied logic.
3. If you are a student of critical thinking, then you are studying applied logic. If you are studying applied logic, then you are familiar with the correct forms of reasoning. Therefore, if you are a student of critical thinking, then you are familiar with the correct forms of reasonings.

Answer 12

2

Question 13

Which one is Modus Tollens?

1. Chaser is either a border collie or he is a sophist. He is not a border collie. Consequently, he is a sophist.
2. If chaser is a border collie, then he is a sophist. Chaser is not a border collie. Therefore, chaser is not a sophist.
3. If chaser is a border collie, then he is a sophist. Chaser is not a sophist. Therefore, chaser is not a border collie.

Answer 13

3

Question 14

Philosophy is the study of the limits and possibility of knowledge

Answer 14

The definition is too narrow because the defining term “the study of the limits and possibility of knowledge” fails to mention philosophers who study different fields in philosophy, such as justice. “Philosopher” is the referent to the term.

Question 15

The analytic statement about Socrates and Thrasymachus is false by definition.

Answer 15

The following sentence is contradictory because it is false by definition. The analytic statement is true by definition according to the reportive definition and therefore this sentence is contradictory.

Question 16

Analytic, synthetic or contradictory?

Thrasymachus’ left foot is big.

Answer 16

statement is synthetic. The truth or falsity of synthetic statements does not depend merely on the meaning of the terms. The truth of this statement is not a functional of the meaning of the terms, “Thrasymachus,” “big,” and “left foot”

Question 17

Analytic, synthetic or contradictory?

The unit of measurement known as the foot contains 12 inches.

Answer 17

Statement is analytic. Analytic statement are true by definition because a foot, by definition, contains 12 inches, therefore this statement is analytic.

Question 18

Analytic, synthetic or contradictory?

She worked on her paper for less than an hour because she worked on it for 45 minutes.

Answer 18

This is a analytic statement. Analytic statements are true by definition because 45 minutes is less than an hour, which by definition, has 60 minutes. The statement is true by definition.

Question 19

What kind of ambiguity?

Bob is the same forwards and backwards.

Answer 19

Semantic ambiguity involving the use/mention distinction. To use a word is to use it in its normal function to refer to something else: that is, the word is a sign or a symbol of something else. To mention a word to draw attention to the word itself. It can be interpreted as meaning either that Bob, the person, is the same backwards and forwards, or that “Bob” the name is the same backwards and forward.

Question 20

What kind of ambiguity?

Dogs are good companion animals

Answer 20

Semantic ambiguity involving the collective and distribution of a term. In collective use, a term refers to the class as a whole. In its distrivution use, a term refers to the members of the class taken individually. Taken collectively, the sentence means all dogs or dogs as a whole make good companion animals. Taken distributively, it means that each and every dog makes a good companion animal.

Question 21

Set out the premises and conclusions of Thrasymachus’ argument for his definition of justice in standard form. Socrates has 2 options if he wishes to refute. Thrasymachus’ position. What are they? Which does he choose?

Answer 21

P1: The stronger are the ruler.
P2: The rulers make the laws
P3: The rulers make the laws to their own advantage
P4: The laws constitute what is just
C: Justice is the advantage of the stronger

-Is the argument logically strong? An argument is logically strong when the premises, if ture, actually provide support for the conclusion or make it reasonable to believe the conclusion is true
or
-Is the argument sound? An argument is sound if it is logically strong and it has true premises
=Socrates chose to ask if the argument is sound. He asks if P3 is true.

Question 22

Glaucon thinks the term “good” is semantically ambiguous. Set out, explain and give example of the different meanings Glaucon describes to it.

Answer 22

Glaucon thinks that the term good can have the following meanings: -It can mean intrisincally good which means that it is desireable in itself apart from its consequences, like reading for pleasure.
or it can mean instrumentally good which means it is desireable only because of its consequences, like a bad tasting medicine.
Or it can be both which means it is desirable both for its own sake and because of its consequences like being healthy.

Question 23

Kind of ambiguity:

The music teacher did not like that note.

Answer 23

Semantically ambiguous. It arises from possible multiple meanings of the term used. In this case, the term “note” can refer to the musical note or a written note. The sentence could be interpreted as meaning that…

Question 24

Kind of ambiguity:

They stood and gazed at the moon in formal attire.

Answer 24

Grammatically ambiguous because its grammatical structure allows 2 or more interpretations. It could be interpreted as meaning either that the moon was in formal attire or the people gazing at the moon were in formal attire

Question 25

What form of argument?

Everyone who knows Arnold likes him, and Kim knows him

Answer 25

[Everyone who knows arnold likes him] (P1)
AND [Kim knows him.] (P2)
Kim likes Arnold (MC)

This is a T form argument because each premise, considered by itself, provides little or no support for the conclusion. The premises only provide support for the conclusion if they both are true.

Question 26

What form of argument?

Socrates is no longer alive because he died in 399BC.

Answer 26

Socrates is no longer alive (c)
Because he died in 399 BC (P1)

This is a simple argument because it contains one premise and one conclusion.

Question 27

What form of argument?

It’s going to rain. The weather forecast calls for rain. Everyone outside is carrying umbrella. There are very dark clouds gathering in the west.

Answer 27

It’s going to rain (c)
The weather forecast calls for rain (P1)
Everyone outside is carrying their umbrella (P2)
There are very dark clouds gathering in the west (P3)

This is a “V” form argument because the premises operate independently of one another. If one premise is false or missing, the remaining one still provides support for the conclusion.

Question 28

Law of the Excluded middle

Answer 28

Also known as law of bivalence, asserts that every statement must be either true or false. Any middle position must be excluded. For any given statement, the negation must be the opposite eg: if the statement is false, then the negation must be true and vice versa

Question 29

Enthymeme

Answer 29

An argument in which the conclusion or one of the premises has been left unstated

Question 30

Law of non contradiction

Answer 30

It is impossible for a statement and its negation to both be true at the same time. In other words, one cannot truthfully both assert and deny that something is the case

Question 31

Consistency

Answer 31

A property of a group or set of statements. A set of statements is consistent when all of the statements are true at the same time. They cannot contradict one another. A set of statements is inconsistent if it is impossible for all the statements in that set to be true at the same time

Question 32

Sorites

Answer 32

Connected series of arguments in which the conclusion of one argument serves as a premise in another argument

Question 33

Expression of volition

Answer 33

example: oh, that socrates were a man

Question 34

Disjunction

Answer 34

means a complex composition that has the form P or Q. These are simple combined propositions to form the simple propositions “either P or Q” P and Q are the disjucts of the disjunction either p or q. Example: either p or q. Not p. Therefor q.

Question 35

Reductio ad absurdum

Answer 35

To show that a premise is false. Demonstates that a contradiction follows from it- show a certain proposition to be true by assuming it to be false (negation) and the deriving a contradiction

Question 36

Sense

Answer 36

Sense is what we understand when we learn its meaning. Bachelor=an unmarried male

Question 37

Reference

Answer 37

Is the class of things to which the word refers- where the concept points 
Eg: Bachelor= the class of bachelors who exist in the universe now, and who will exist in the past and future