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Valid Deductive Arguments: Logic Exercises I

This document provides examples of valid and invalid deductive arguments, strong and weak inductive arguments, and sound, cogent, unsound and not cogent arguments. It tests the reader's ability to determine the type of argument, and whether it is valid/strong or sound/cogent by assuming the premises are true and evaluating if the conclusion necessarily or strongly follows. Sixteen total arguments across these categories are provided for analysis.

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Dzenan Hakalovic
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164 views

Valid Deductive Arguments: Logic Exercises I

This document provides examples of valid and invalid deductive arguments, strong and weak inductive arguments, and sound, cogent, unsound and not cogent arguments. It tests the reader's ability to determine the type of argument, and whether it is valid/strong or sound/cogent by assuming the premises are true and evaluating if the conclusion necessarily or strongly follows. Sixteen total arguments across these categories are provided for analysis.

Uploaded by

Dzenan Hakalovic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Logic Exercises I

VALID DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS


To determine if a deductive argument is valid ASSUME that the premises are true and ask
yourself whether the conclusion is necessarily true. If the conclusion necessarily follows, then it
is a valid argument. If not, then it is invalid.

The following arguments are deductive arguments. Determine whether they are valid or invalid.

1. Chess is a game of skill. All games of skill are intellectually challenging. Therefore, chess is
intellectually challenging.
2. Either Boston is in Washington or it is in Oregon. Since Boston is not in Oregon, it must be in
Washington.
3. President Lincoln resigned from office. If President Lincoln resigned from office, then he was
not assassinated. Therefore, President Lincoln was not assassinated.
4. All apples are red. All red things are edible. Therefore, all apples are edible.
5. I have 7 brothers. Therefore, at least two of us were born on the same day of the week
6. If I have a headache, then I am not interested in playing basketball. Since I am not interested
in playing basketball, I must not have a headache.

STRONG INDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS


To determine if an inductive argument is strong, ASSUME that the premises are true and ask
whether the premises strongly support the conclusion. If so, the argument is a strong argument.
If not, then it is weak.

The following are inductive arguments. Determine whether they are strong.

1. Every year for the past two hundred years, it has never rained in Seattle during the summer.
Chances are, therefore, that it will not rain in Seattle next summer.
2. Steve has a Mustang and it has had very little problems. Larry just bought a Mustang, so he
can expect to have few problems with it.
3. Five apples are in the bag, which has 10 pieces of fruit in total; therefore, if one piece of fruit
is randomly drawn out of the bag, it will probably be an apple.
4. Most maps of the United States show the State of Washington immediately bordering the State
of Texas. Therefore, it is probably true that the State of Washington immediately borders Texas.
5. Michael Jordan, the best basketball player in the world, says that the Wilson basketball is a
very good basketball; therefore, it probably is.
6. In a bag, there are nine pieces of fruit: six bananas and three apples. Thus, if one piece of fruit
is picked at random, it will probably be an apple.
SOUND ARGUMENTS
A sound argument is (1) a valid argument that (2) has true premises. (It is deductive)
A cogent argument is (1) a strong argument that (2) has true premises. (It is inductive)

The following arguments are deductive arguments. Determine whether they are sound
arguments.
1. Seattle is in Washington. Washington is in the United States. Therefore, Seattle is in the
United States.
2. The Eifel Tower is taller than the Space Needle. The Space Needle is shorter than the Empire
State building. Thus, the Empire State Building is taller than the Eifel Tower.
3. If it snows, then the temperature will fall below 20 degrees. If the temperature falls below 20
degrees, then water on the ground will freeze. Therefore, if it snows, then water on the ground
will freeze.

The following arguments are inductive arguments. Determine whether they are cogent.
1. In the past hundred years, on average it has rained more in the State of Washington than in
New Mexico. Therefore, this year it will probably rain more in Washington than in New Mexico.
2. Most university instructors have advanced degrees. Steve Finn is a university instructor.
Therefore, Steve Finn probably has an advanced degree.
3. Many cities have professional football teams. Milwaukee is a city. Therefore, it probably has
a football team.

Determine whether the following arguments are (1) deductive or inductive then (2) whether they
are valid, then (3) whether they are sound (or unsound) or cogent (or not cogent).
1. Either Richard Simmons is a man or he is a woman. He is not a woman. Therefore, he is a
man.
2. The moon has been circling the earth for thousands, if not millions, of years. Thus, it is likely
that ten years from now, the moon will still be circling the earth.
3. When Neal Armstrong landed on the moon, he left behind a gold plated Schwinn bicycle,
which he used to ride around on the moon’s surface. Probably, that bike is still up there on the
moon.
4. The grave marker at the Arlington National Cemetery says that John F. Kennedy is buried
there. It is most likely the case that John F. Kennedy really is buried there.
5. Since Winston Churchill was English, and Winston Churchill was a famous statesman, we may
conclude that at least one Englishman was a famous statesman.
6. Since Moby Dick was written by Shakespeare and since Moby Dick is a science fiction novel, it
follows that Shakespeare wrote a science fiction novel.

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