If corporations continue to pollute, then the environment will be damaged beyond repair. The environment will be damaged beyond repair. Therefore, corporations will continue to pollute.
A) Deductive, invalid.
B) Deductive, sound.
C) Inductive, strong.
D) Deductive, valid.
E) Inductive, weak.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This argument is deductive, but it is invalid because the conclusion does not necessarily follow from the premises. The argument wrongly assumes that if one event happens (corporations continue to pollute) then the other event (environmental damage beyond repair) must also happen. This ignores the possibility that the problem could be solved, the corporations could stop polluting, or alternative solutions may be found.

If Corporations Continue to Pollute, Then the Environment Will Be