Question 1

No inductive argument provides logically conclusive support for its conclusion.

Accepted Answer

Inductive arguments, by their nature, work by moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories, and thus they cannot guarantee the truth of their conclusions with absolute certainty, only support them with varying degrees of probability.

Question 2

According to the strict necessity test, if an argument's conclusion follows with strict logical necessity from its premises, then the argument should always be treated as deductive.

Accepted Answer

The strict necessity test posits that if the conclusion of an argument follows with strict logical necessity from its premises, meaning it is impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false, then the argument is classified as deductive. This is because deductive arguments are characterized by the necessity of their conclusion given the premises.

Question 3

The argument "Kyle is a father; it follows that Kyle has a child" is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

The argument "Kyle is a father; it follows that Kyle has a child" is an example of an argument from definition because it relies on the definition of "father" as someone who has a child.

Question 4

An argument in which the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises is a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

A deductive argument is one where the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises.

Question 5

Some arguments are neither deductive nor inductive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Some arguments are neither deductive nor inductive....

Question 6

All cogent arguments _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All cogent arguments _____.
...

Question 7

A cogent argument may have a probably false conclusion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A cogent argument may have a probably...

Question 8

The argument "Shadowfax is a stallion; it follows that Shadowfax is a male" is a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

This argument is an argument from definition because it concludes that Shadowfax is male based on the definition of "stallion," which is a term specifically used to refer to male horses.

Question 9

The argument "Aldo says he saw a whooping crane in a Wisconsin marsh; Aldo is a highly reliable witness; so, Aldo probably did see a whooping crane in a Wisconsin marsh." is _____.

Accepted Answer

The argument relies on Aldo's reliability (his authority or expertise) to support the conclusion that he probably saw a whooping crane, making it an argument from authority.

Question 10

"Some people like sardines. Some people like pistachio ice cream. It stands to reason, therefore, that some people must like sardines on their pistachio ice cream." This illustrates a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The statement is an invalid deductive argument because it incorrectly assumes that liking two separate items (sardines and pistachio ice cream) implies liking the combination of the two, which does not logically follow.

Question 11

Unlike deductive arguments, inductive arguments claim that _____.

Accepted Answer

Inductive arguments claim that if the premises are true, then the conclusion is probably true, rather than necessarily true. This is because inductive reasoning involves generalizing from specific instances or making probabilistic inferences, rather than deducing conclusions with certainty from premises.

Question 12

An unsound argument is defined as a deductive argument that either is invalid or has at least one false premise, or both.

Accepted Answer

An unsound argument is indeed one that is either invalid in its logical structure or contains at least one false premise, making the conclusion unreliable.

Question 13

An argument in which the conclusion is claimed to follow probably from the premises is known as a(n) _____ argument.

Accepted Answer

An inductive argument is characterized by the claim that its conclusion follows probably from its premises, as opposed to a deductive argument where the conclusion is supposed to follow necessarily.

Question 14

"Buford can lift, at most, 150 pounds over his head. A hog weighs at least 300 pounds. Therefore, Buford will never be able to lift a hog over his head." This illustrates a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The argument is a valid deductive argument because if the premises are true (Buford can lift at most 150 pounds and a hog weighs at least 300 pounds), then the conclusion (Buford will never be able to lift a hog over his head) logically follows.

Question 15

An analogy is a comparison of two or more things that are claimed to be alike in some relevant respect.

Accepted Answer

An analogy is indeed a comparison between two or more items, ideas, or situations that are suggested to be similar in at least one relevant aspect, often used to explain a concept or to argue a point.

Question 16

No cogent argument has any false premises.

Accepted Answer

A cogent argument is one where all the premises are true, and the reasoning from those premises to the conclusion is strong and valid.

Question 17

In a(n) _____, the conclusion is claimed to depend on a comparison or similarity between two or more things.

Accepted Answer

An argument from analogy relies on the comparison or similarity between two or more things to support its conclusion.

Question 18

All valid arguments have true premises.

Accepted Answer

A valid argument is one where if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. However, an argument can be valid even if its premises are false, as long as the logical structure ensures that if the premises were true, the conclusion would necessarily follow.

Question 19

"Barbara is a 50-year-old accountant, wears conservative clothes, and plays bingo every Tuesday night at the church social. It is not the case, therefore, that Barbara likes heavy metal music." This illustrates a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of "Barbara is a 50-year-old accountant, wears conservative...

Question 20

The argument "Apples purchased in grocery stores are red and juicy and rarely contain worms; this wild apple is also red and juicy; so, it probably doesn't contain any worms either." is _____.

Accepted Answer

This argument compares the characteristics of apples purchased in grocery stores to a wild apple, suggesting that because they share certain qualities (red and juicy), they likely share another (lack of worms). This is an argument from analogy, which draws a conclusion based on the similarities between two things.

Quiz 3: Basic Logical Concepts