PHILOS 211: First problem set

Due: Tuesday, September 23. Complete all the problems on a separate page. If you use more
than one page, please staple all sheets together.

Each answer is worth 20 points, for a total of 100. The problems with subsections are divided
equally (i.e. if there are ve, each is worth 4 points, etc.)

Please put your name and section on your problem sets.




1. Translate the following sentences from English into LSL, using the key provided.

(a) If Ann went to Atlanta, Bob went to Boston.
(b) If Bob didnt go to Boston, then Carol went to Cleveland.
(c) If Ann went to Atlanta and Carol went to Cleveland, then Bob went to Boston.
(d) Bob didnt go to Boston unless Dave went to Detroit.

A: Ann went to Atlanta
B: Bob went to Boston
C: Carol went to Cleveland.
D: David went to Detroit

2. Translate the following arguments from English into LSL, using the keys provided.

(a) The animal we heard barked, and if it barked, it wasnt a cat. It was either a cat or a
dog. So the animal we heard was a dog.

B: The animal we heard barked.
C: The animal we heard was a cat.
D: The animal we heard was a dog.

(b) The beetle population will rise only if the average temperature rises. If the average
temperature rises, the evergreen tree population will fall and the average snowfall will
decrease. So if the beetle population rises, the average snowfall will decrease.

B: The beetle population will rise.
E: The evergreen tree population will fall.
S: The average snowfall will decrease.
T: The average temperature will rise.




3. Translate the following sentences from LSL into English, using the key provided.

a) G & P
b) (R & G) ! ~S
c) ~(G " S) ! R
d) (G & S) # R
e) (G & S) ! (R " P)

G: The price of gold will increase.
P: The price of platinum will increase.
R: There will be a recession.
S: The price of silver will increase.


4. Draw parse trees for the following sentences.

(a) ~(A & ~B) ! (C " D)
(b) A ! ((B " C) ! ~B)


5. Answer the following questions. In each case, justify your answer in a few sentences.

(a) Suppose an argument, with multiple premises, is valid but has a false conclusion.
What can we infer about the premises?

(b) Take three separate arguments, A
1
, A
2
, and A
3
, each of which has just one premise.
The premise of A
1
is the same sentence as the premise of A
3
. The conclusion of A
1
is the
same sentence as the premise of A
2
. The conclusion of A
2
is the same sentence as the
conclusion of A
3
. If A
1
and A
2
are valid, does it follow that A
3
is valid?