Chapter 01 – Basic Concepts
The Power of Logic 5th Edition Howard-Snyder
Test Bank
Chapter 01
Basic Concepts
Multiple Choice Questions
- Logic is the study of
A. the way people reason.
B. methods for evaluating arguments.
C. techniques for winning arguments.
D. ways to represent English statements in symbols.
Subject area: Chapter 1, Basic Concepts - As understood by logicians, an argument is
A. a set of statements, one of which is supported by the others.
B. a verbal dispute between two or more people.
C. a major contributing factor to the high rate of divorce in the United States.
D. a sentence that is either true or false.
Subject area: Chapter 1, Basic Concepts - The primary purpose(s) of argument is(are)
A. to persuade others to share our views.
B. to discover the truth about something.
C. to intimidate one’s opponent.
D. both to persuade others to share our views, and to discover the truth about something.
Subject area: Chapter 1, Basic Concepts
Chapter 01 – Basic Concepts
- A sound argument is one that is valid and
A. has a true conclusion.
B. has at least one true premise.
C. has all true premises.
D. is accepted by most people.
Subject area: 1.1 Validity and Soundness - A term is
A. a 15-week semester of college.
B. a word or phrase that stands for a class.
C. a length of time in public office.
D. a pattern of reasoning.
Subject area: 1.2 and 1.3 Forms, Validity, and Counterexamples - A counterexample to an argument form is a substitution instance whose
A. premises and conclusion are well-known truths.
B. premises are well-known falsehoods.
C. premises are well-known truths and conclusion a well-known falsehood.
D. conclusion is a well-known falsehood.
Subject area: 1.2 and 1.3 Forms, Validity, and Counterexamples - The statement “Pat is a mother only if Pat is a woman” is a stylistic variant of which type of
statement?
A. disjunction
B. conditional
C. negation
D. conjunction
Subject area: 1.3 Some “Famous Forms”
Chapter 01 – Basic Concepts
- Which of the following argument forms is not valid?
A. modus tollens
B. hypothetical syllogism
C. affirming the consequent
D. disjunctive syllogism
Subject area: 1.3 Some “Famous Forms” - The fallacy of affirming the consequent has the following form:
A. If A, then B; Not A; So, not B.
B. If A, then B; Not B; So, not A.
C. If A, then B; A; So, B.
D. If A, then B; B; So, A.
Subject area: 1.3 Some “Famous Forms” - A disjunctive syllogism has the following form:
A. Either A or B; Not A; So, B.
B. If A, then C; If B, then D; Either A or B; So, either C or D.
C. If A, then B; If B, then C; So, if A, then C.
D. Either A or B; A; So, not B.
Subject area: 1.3 Some “Famous Forms” - If an argument is strong, then
A. its premises are all true.
B. it is improbable (but possible) that the conclusion is false on the assumption that the
premises are true.
C. it is impossible for the conclusion to be false on the assumption that the premises are true.
D. the conclusion is true.
Subject area: 1.4 Strength and Cogency
Chapter 01 – Basic Concepts
- Inductive logic is concerned with methods of evaluating arguments for
A. strength and weakness.
B. cogency and uncogency.
C. validity and invalidity.
D. soundness and unsoundness.
Subject area: 1.4 Strength and Cogency - “Davy Crockett was executed by Santa Ana.” This is
A. a statement.
B. not a statement.
Subject area: Recognizing statements - “The moon is made of bleu cheese.” This is
A. a statement.
B. not a statement.
Subject area: Recognizing statements - “Will Jean will the election?” This is
A. a statement.
B. not a statement.
Subject area: Recognizing statements - “Let’s go home now.” This is
A. a statement.
B. not a statement.
Subject area: Recognizing statements