UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY

DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
PHIL 138 Logic & Critical Thinking
Test 1

Candidates should answer ALL questions in the answer booklet

1. Which of the following statements are true and which are false? Give a
counterexample to each of the false ones. [0.4 marks each]

(a)  If a valid argument has true premises then it has a true conclusion.
T
(b)  If an invalid argument has true premises then it has a false conclusion.
F CE: Kieran Read is an rugby player. Kieran Read is an athlete. Therefore, all
rugby players are athletes.
(c)  An argument with a necessarily true conclusion is valid.
T
(d)  If some sound arguments have false premises, then some sound arguments
have false premises.
T

(e) An unsound argument with true premises and false conclusion is valid.
F CE: Kieran Read is a rugby player. Kieran Read is an athlete. Therefore, all
athletes are rugby players.
(f) A valid argument with false premise and true conclusion is unsound.
T
(g) If a valid argument has true premises and false conclusion, then some sound
arguments have false premises.
T
(h) If 2+2 = 4, then some unsound arguments are invalid.
T

(i) If 2+2 = 5, then some sound arguments are invalid.

T
(j) If 2+2 = 5, then 2+2 = 5.
T
2. For each of the following pairs of statements, suppose that the first one
is true. Given that assumption, is the second one true, false, or
undetermined? Say which doctrine of immediate inferences you used to
get the answer you arrived at. [1 mark each]

(a)  All printers are scanners. No printers are scanners.

False. Contraries.

(b)  Some lecture rooms are not designed to fit more than 50 people. Some lecture
rooms are designed to fit more than 50 people.
Undetermined. Sub-contraries.
(c)  All sound arguments have false premises. Some sound arguments have false
premises.
True. Limitation.

(d) Some sound arguments have false premises. No sound arguments have false
premises.
False. Contradictories.

Table a The four possible syllogistic figures

1 2 3 4

Major Premise M–P P–M M–P P–M

Minor Premise S–M S–M M–S M–S

Conclusion S–P S–P S–P S–P

3. Put each of the following syllogisms into formal logical form (i.e. S, M,
and P for terms) and then identify mood and figure. Remember to put
the major premise first. [Syllogistic figures given above] [1 mark each]
 (a)  All friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-tongued, flying
purple people-eaters are carnivorous hermaphrodites some of the time; yet,
since some friends of friends of two-horned, three-toed, green-eyed, ochre-
tongue, crawling yellow people-eaters are not carnivorous hermaphrodites
any of the time, no friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-
tongued, flying purple people-eaters are friends of friends of two-horned,
three-toed, green-eyed, ochre-tongue, crawling yellow people-eaters.
Some friends of friends of two-horned, three-toed, green-eyed, ochre-tongue,
crawling yellow people-eaters are not carnivorous hermaphrodites any of the
time.
Some friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-tongued, flying purple
people-eaters are carnivorous hermaphrodites.
Therefore, no friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-tongued,
flying purple people-eaters are friends of friends of two-horned, three-toed,
green-eyed, ochre-tongue, crawling yellow people-eaters.
OIE-2

(b)  This syllogism is valid, for all invalid syllogisms commit an illicit process,
and this syllogism commits no illicit process.

All invalid syllogisms commit an illicit process.

Some (this) syllogism commits no illicit process.
Therefore, some syllogism is valid.
AOI-4
(c)  All cases of syzygy occur in true parthenogenesis, and no hermaphrodites
undergo true parthenogenesis. Therefore, no hermaphrodites undergo
syzygy.

All cases of syzygy occur in true parthenogenesis.

No hermaphrodites undergo true parthenogenesis.
Therefore, no hermaphrodites undergo syzygy.
AEE-2

4. Test the following arguments for validity using Venn Diagrams. [2

marks each]

(a) All friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-tongued, flying

purple people-eaters are carnivorous hermaphrodites some of the time; yet,
since some friends of friends of two-horned, three-toed, green-eyed, ochre-
tongue, crawling yellow people-eaters are not carnivorous hermaphrodites
any of the time, no friends of friends of twelve-toed, blued-eyed, green-
 tongued, flying purple people-eaters are friends of friends of two-horned,
three-toed, green-eyed, ochre-tongue, crawling yellow people-eaters.

(b) All professional wrestlers are highly skilled performers, and so are all good
actors, so some professional wrestlers are good actors.

(c) No valid arguments are sound arguments. Some valid arguments are silly.
Therefore, Some silly arguments are unsound.
 (d) Some valid arguments have true premises. Some arguments with true
premises are sound. Therefore, all sound arguments are valid.

5. Put each of the following into symbolic notation, using the capital
letters given to abbreviate the atomic propositions. [1.5 marks each]

(a) Unless you are foolish or panicky, you will find logic easy. (F, P, E)
(FvP) v E

(b) Your PHIL138 lecturer is a hedgehog only if he has a long trunk. (H, L)
H—>L

(c) Your PHIL138 lecturer does not have a long trunk, but he likes to buy his
students twenty mangoes, five watermelons, and eleven pineapples on
Wednesdays if and only if the students cosplay zebra on Fridays. (L, B, Z)
~L & (B<—>Z)
(d) ) If either rule 222 did not contain the loophole, or if catch-22 did not, then
neither the falsity of rule 222 nor the falsity of catch-22 would allow the
loophole. (R, C)
(~R v ~C) —> ~ (~R v ~C)
6. Assign truth-values to the following propositions using full truth-
tables. [3 marks each]

(a)   ¬G → ((R v ¬H) & ¬(H & G))

(b)   ((P & Q) ↔ ¬Q) & ¬¬P

(c)  ¬((¬M → (S → R)) ↔ (R v (S v M)))