[Note: The HTML format has forced me to make the following symbol substitutions. For conjunction, an ampersand (&) rather than the dot; for conditional, a dash and angle bracket (->) rather than the horseshoe; and for existential quantifier, a captial 'E' rather than a reversed capital 'E'. The real exam will use the normal symbols.]

Midterm III

Philosophy 500 -- Introduction to Logic

Write your name here: ______________________________

The exam consists of 22 questions. Questions 1 - 20 are each worth 4 points. Questions 21 and 22 are worth 10 points each.

Part One. Short Answer.

Provide a brief and clear answer to each of the five questions below.

1. The form of a slippery slope argument employs two rules of inference that are formally valid. What are they?

2. Explain the difference between a weak analogy and a hasty generalization.

3. Under what conditions would an argument with the form of an appeal to authority not be a fallacy?

4. True or false: The fallacy of Straw Man can only be committed by someone who is responding to an argument made by someone else.

5. Under what conditions would an argument from generalization NOT be the fallacy of hasty generalization?

Part Two. Informal Fallacies.

For each passage below, identify the informal fallacy committed. If no fallacy is committed, write 'no fallacy'. Briefly justify your answer ('briefly' means one or two short sentences).

6. Either Johnny will ask me to the prom, or I'll just die!!!

7. Ted Nugent says that deer hunting is OK because it helps to strengthen the deer herd. But it is ridiculous to defend hunting on the ground that they don't mind being killed. Every animal, human or otherwise, strives to continue to live.

8. I know that Mr. Jones has produced a report arguing that we should open a new water treatment facility. But what you may not realize is that Jones is a convicted rapist. So we should forget all about this ridiculous treatment plant.

9. Smoking pot definitely leads to heroine use. Over 70% of heroine users smoked pot BEFORE using heroine.

10. Of course the government is seeking an all-out prohibition on cigarettes. And once they've got that, they'll go for other targets, like alcohol and fast-food, maybe even buttermilk. There's a line of dominoes a mile long.

11. Some people think that the cheap IBM clones don't work well. But my friend Jane has been running one constantly for 5 months without a problem.

12. Mr. Jones has argued that we should open a new water treatment plant. But of course what you may not realize is that Jones owns the company that would build such a plant, and so he has much to gain from this expensive venture. So we should not build the proposed plant.

13. Da Vinci, Keynes, and Capote were not only great artists and writers, they were also all gay. Therefore, gay men are more creative than the general population.

14. Lincoln: General Grant has been accused of been a drunkard, and hopelessly addicted to whiskey. Given how incredibly successful Grant has been on the battlefield for the North, I wish he would send a barrel of whiskey to all the rest of my Generals!

15. Those quiche-eating tree-hugging Californians are incapable of serious thought. If you want to learn anything about politics, talk to a New Yorker.

16. When Dr. Barnard performed the first heart transplant, he was praised, not his scalpel. It was, according to the Bible, Cain, and not a rock, that slew Abel. So why in the world should we listen to these liberals who want gun control who blame crimes on guns rather than the people?

17. Of course God exists! Every culture throughout history has had religious beliefs. How could all these people be wrong?

18. I know you want to major in philosophy. But I think it would be better for you to major in business or engineering. If you change your major to philosophy, I will no longer pay your tuition.

19. Justice Marshall of the Supreme Court said that the appointment of Souter was politically motivated. That's especially interesting coming from the mouth of Marshall. How does he think that he himself was nominated, as an attorney with neither elective nor judicial experience before his appointment?

20. Why do I think abortion is murder? Because when I asked my pediatrician to perform one she said she wouldn't do it because she was not a murderer. And she should know, after all, babies and childbirth are her business.

Part Three. Proofs.

Construct proofs for the following arguments. You may use any of the methods we have studied.

21.

1. (x)( Sx -> ~Wx) -> (x) (Sx -> ~Hx) / .: (Ex)(Sx & Hx) -> (Ex)(Sx & Wx)

22.

/ .: (x)(Mx -> ~(Kx v Dx)) -> ~(Ex)(Mx & Dx)