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91Ó°ÊÓ

Tell whether each of the following pairs of premises can be used to form a syllogism. \begin{aligned} &a \rightarrow b\\\ &c \rightarrow b \end{aligned}

Short Answer

Expert verified
No, the premises cannot form a valid syllogism.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Structure of a Syllogism

A syllogism is a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two premises that each contain a common term. In a valid syllogism, the conclusion follows logically from the premises. The three parts of a standard syllogism are: the major premise, the minor premise, and the conclusion.
02

Analyze the Given Premises

The given premises are: 1. \(a \rightarrow b\), which means 'if \(a\) then \(b\)'. 2. \(c \rightarrow b\), which means 'if \(c\) then \(b\)'. Both premises have the same consequent, \(b\).
03

Determine Common Terms

For a syllogism to be formed, there should be a term that appears in both premises such that it can serve as a link between them. In the current set of premises, the term \(b\) is common as a consequent, but there is no term that appears both as a subject in one premise and as a predicate in another.
04

Evaluate the Possibility of a Conclusion

To form a syllogism, we need a structure like 'if \(a\) then \(b\); if \(b\) then \(c\); therefore, if \(a\) then \(c\).' However, in the given premises, there is no direct connection between \(a\) and \(c\) through \(b\) that would allow us to form a logical conclusion.
05

Conclusion on the Syllogism Formation

Neither \(a\) nor \(c\) serves as a middle term that relates both premises directly in a way that allows a direct logical conclusion. Therefore, these premises cannot form a valid syllogism.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Syllogism
A syllogism is a type of logical argument that uses deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two premises. It's an age-old method used to test the validity of an argument, dating back to Aristotle. In a syllogism:
  • The major premise provides a general rule (e.g., "All humans are mortal.")
  • The minor premise applies this rule to a specific case (e.g., "Socrates is human.")
  • From these, a conclusion is drawn (e.g., "Socrates is mortal.")
This structure is effective because the conclusion logically follows from the premises, given that they are both true. The magic of a syllogism lies in its form: it relies on its structure to ensure that the truth is preserved from premises to conclusion.
Premises
Premises are the building blocks of any syllogism. They provide the statements or propositions from which a conclusion is inferred. There are usually two premises in a syllogistic argument:
  • Major Premise: This is a broad statement that sets up a general principle.
  • Minor Premise: This narrows down the scope by applying the general principle to a specific case.
In logical reasoning, it is crucial that the premises are clear and well-defined. If one of the premises is false, the conclusion may become unsound, even if the syllogism's structure is valid. In our exercise, the premises given are conditional, meaning their truth hinges on the relationship "if... then...". They express a consequence but lack a connecting term between them, making it difficult to derive a new statement (or conclusion).
Conclusion
The conclusion in a syllogistic argument is the result that follows from the premises if they are both true. It is the statement that is claimed to be true based on the logical relationship established by the premises. Ideally, the conclusion should add something informative, given the premises.
For example, in valid syllogisms, if both premises share a common term and a valid logical structure is maintained, the conclusion follows seamlessly. In cases where no direct link between premises exists, such as the ones in the exercise, a clear and cohesive conclusion is impossible to derive. The intended logical flow breaks, preventing the formation of a valid conclusion.
Validity
In the context of logical reasoning, validity refers to whether the conclusion logically follows from the premises. A syllogism can be analytically valid if its structure guarantees that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.
However, validity does not concern the actual truth of the premises themselves. A conclusion is considered valid if the logic applied—independent of the actual content—ensures truth preservation from the premises to the conclusion.
  • A valid syllogism will have a logical connection between its propositions.
  • An invalid syllogism, on the other hand, may have relevant premises, but if they don't structurally lead to a sound conclusion, validity fails.
In the exercise at hand, despite the premises being logical when observed separately, they do not connect in a way that allows a valid syllogism to be formed, thus rendering any attempt to conclude as logically invalid.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A syllogism consists of three conditional statements. With what part of the second statement must the conclusion of the first statement be identical?

The following statements appear on the customer agreement for obtaining a credit card. Statement 1. A transaction finance charge is a charge made if a new advance is added to your account. Statement \(2 .\) If you go over your credit limit, you will be charged a fee. Statement 3. A supercheck is a check designed for use with your credit card account. Statement 4. If you are charged a fee, the fee will be added to your new balance. Statement \(5 .\) If your card is lost or stolen, you agree to report it immediately. What words do they define?

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