Chapter 1.

6, Problem 8E

Problem

What rules of inference are used in this argument? “No man is an island. Manhattan is an island.
Therefore. Manhattan is not a man.”

Step-by-step solution

Step 1 of 1
Modus ponen is the rule of inference based on the tautology .

Universal instantiation is the rule of inference used to conclude that is true, where c

is a particular member of the domain, given the premise .

Let denote, “x is a man” and let denote that “x is not an island”. Then the premise
will be “For all x, if x is a man then, x is not an island” i.e. . By universal

instantiation, we put Manhattan in place of x i.e. to

conclude that “If Manhattan is a man then, Manhattan is not an island”.

Then we use the contra positive form of the above premise i.e. and by

using universal instantiation we get , “If Manhattan is an

island, then Manhattan is not a man”.

Also, we know that i.e. “Manhattan is an island”. Therefore, by using the two
premises, and , we infer from Modus

ponen that i.e. “Manhattan is not a man”.