LOGIC & CRITICAL THINKING   REASONING AND ARGUMENTS
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OUTLINE 
​I. ​Nature of Hypothetical Propositions
II. Kinds of Hypothetical Propositions
A. Conditional Proposition
B. Biconditional Proposition
C. Disjunctive Proposition
D. Conjunctive Proposition
III. Examples of Hypothetical Propositions
IV. Nature of Reasoning
V. Methods of Reasoning
I. NATURE OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS    ○ Examples:
● A hypothetical proposition unites or separates two enunciations by
means of a non-verb copula.
● It is a compound proposition that expresses the connection of truth
or falsehood between its components.
● It is a proposition that states conditions, causations or opposition
between two judgement sets of ideas or statements.
II. KINDS OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS   
● There are four kinds of hypothetical propositions, namely:
conditional, biconditional, conjunctive, and disjunctive.
A. CONDITIONAL PROPOSITION  
● An ​if and then​ statement consisting of two parts.
● The first part of the statement which follows if and precedes then, is
called the ​antecedent​.
● The second part of the statement which follows then is called the
consequent.
○ Conditional statement:
■ If it rained, then the ground is wet.
● Other connectives commonly used to form conditional propositions
are:
○ If
○ Only if
○ In case on the condition that
○ Provided that
○ Unless
● It is the distinctive nature of the conditional proposition to assert
nothing but the necessity of logical connection between its two
components: the ​antecedent ​and the ​consequent.
● Thus, if the consequent really follows from the antecedent,
irrespective of whether or not it is itself true, the conditional
proposition is true.
● If on the other hand, the consequent does not follow from the
antecedent, even though both the antecedent and the consequent
are true, the conditional proposition is false.
● Consider the following examples:
○ If I am a human being I am less than six feet tall.
■ It is true that “I am a human being” and also that I am less
than six feet tall”, but my being less than six feet tall does not
necessarily follow from the fact that I am a human being. The
asserted logical connection, therefore is not obtained and the
conditional proposition in question is simply false.
GEC4  ​N1A 2024​ Jacob, K
 
Module 4 | ​1st Semester 
○ If you are dead you are not studying logic.
■ In this example, it may happen that both its antecedent and
consequent are false. It may be false that you are dead and
equally false that you are not studying logic now.
Nevertheless, this conditional proposition is still perfectly true
because of the logical connection existing between its
antecedent and consequent. It follows logically that if you
were dead you could not be studying logic.
● The antecedent and the consequent of a conditional proposition
may be affirmative or negative. If the antecedent is negative, unless
is frequently used instead of if not…
■ Unless he is grateful he will have a breakdown is identical
with if he is not careful he will have a break down.
■ Unless you do penance you shall likewise perish is the same
as if you do not do penance you shall likewise perish
● The circumstantial conditional non-verb copulas such as whenever,
when, and where are sometimes used in place of if, thus the
subsequent is essentially a conditional proposition.
○ Examples:
■ Whenever politicians rule, wise men suffer.
■ Whenever I tell a joke, my students look uncomfortable.
■ Where wealth accumulates, men decay.
B. BICONDITIONAL PROPOSITION  
● It expresses the idea that the presence of some property is a
necessary and sufficient condition for the presence of some other
property. This is known as the if and only if statement because of its
usual structure: ​A if and only if B
○ Examples:
■ You will go if and only if I say so
■ We will attend if and only if we are invited
■ Chariel will win just in case Charlotte does
C. DISJUNCTIVE PROPOSITION  
● It is a combining statement that uses the connective “or” to join
component clauses called disjuncts or alternatives of which at least
one must be true. This is also known as the either or statement
because of its visual structure. Either A, B, or C. The disjunctive
proposition has two types: ​complete disjunctive a ​ nd ​incomplete
disjunctive.
 
COMPLETE DISJUNCTIVE PROPOSITION  
● A disjunctive is complete when only one of its disjuncts can be true.
● Examples:
○ Dinner includes soup or salad.
■ “Or” means either soup or salad, but not both.
○ The passenger in the ill fated plane is either dead or alive.
■ Obviously, the passenger can be either dead or alive, but not
both.
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INCOMPLETE DISJUNCTIVE PROPOSITION   PREMISE, CONCLUSION 
● A disjunctive is incomplete when both of its disjuncts can be true. ● If all men are ball players, then no women are ball players, since no
● Examples: women are men.
○ All those eligible for welfare are unemployed or infirm. ● According to signal words for the premises (if since) and
■ The statement asserts that to be eligible for welfare, one conclusions (then), the argument is rearranged as follows:
could be either unemployed or infirm, and allows for the ○ All men are ball players
possibility that one is both unemployed and infirm. It further ○ No women are men
asserts that at least one of the alternative statements is true. ■ Therefore: No women are ball players
Thus, all those eligible for welfare are at least unemployed or
infirm. REFERENCES  
○ He is either an employee or a student. ● Lecture powerpoint
■ The student can mean that he is both a student and employee
at the same time as in the case of a working student. RULES FOR A GOOD DEFINITION  

D. CONJUNCTIVE PROPOSITION   RULES FOR A GOOD DEFINITION  

● A combining statement consisting of two coordinate clauses joined
by “and” both clauses must be true.
● Conjunctive propositions are also introduced by conjunctions like
but, yet, as well as, however, through, although, whereas, while,
moreover, nevertheless, and now.
○ Examples:
■ The harvest is great but the laborers are few.
■ He won a point; nevertheless he lost the case.
■ He coaches as well as plays in the finals.

III. EXAMPLES OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS 

● State whether the following hypothetical propositions are
conditional, biconditional, conjunctive, or disjunctive.
1. You will not be elected unless you campaign. ​Conditional
2. He will be president if and only if he wins the presidential election.
Biconditional
3. An automobile is either in motion or at rest. ​Disjunctive
4. An Ilocanos are Filipinos, how he is an Ilocano. ​Conjunctive
5. Iran or Libya raises the price of oil but they do not both do so.
Conjunctive
6. Truth is either useful or non-useful. ​Disjunctive
7. The Philippines is a republic and a member of the ASEAN.
Conjunctive
8. I will love you if and only if you will do what is good for me.
Biconditional
9. The train was on time, whereas the bus was late. ​Conjunctive
10. Tony had steak but Teresa had chicken. ​Conjunctive
11. If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword. ​Conditional
12. Unless you study, you will fail.​Conditional
13. If there is smoke, then there is fire. ​Conditional
14. Either I respect myself or you are not angry with me.
Disjunctive
15. If she rejects me, I’ll be free. ​Conditional

IV. METHODS OF REASONING  

● Individual to General
● Universal to Particular
● Elements of Arguments: Premises, Conclusion
● Properties of Arguments: truth, Validity, and Soundness

GEC4  Reasoning and Argument Page 2 of ​2