UGED1111D/E Logic Lecture 5 Deductive Reasoning and Basic Logic Part 2: Class Exercise

1) Determine whether each of the following arguments is valid or invalid. If invalid, explain it by
the method of invalidating counter-example (前提明顯為真，結論明顯為假).

a) P1: All girls with big eyes are pretty.

P2: Mary is pretty.

C: Mary has big eyes.

invalid. big eyes 是 pretty 的充分條件，假設 Mary small eyes, long hair 亦可以 pretty

→ 在此情況下，P1、P2 為真，C 為假。

b) P1: 過往太陽均由東方升起。

C: 明天太陽將由東方升起。 invalid

c) P1: Peter is heavier than John.

P2: John is heavier than David.

C: Peter is heavier than David. valid

d) P1: Peter is slightly heavier than John.

P2: John is slightly heavier than David.

C: Peter is slightly heavier than David. invalid

e) P1: Someone is sick.

P2: Someone is unhappy.
C: Someone is unhappy and sick. invalid

f) P1: John was in Britain when Mary died in Hong Kong. 

C: Mary could not have been killed by John. invalid

g) (UReply) P1: Most As are Bs.

P2: Most Bs are Cs.

 C: Most As are Cs.

Invalid. counter example: A = Hong Kong Citizens, B = Chinese, C = People who do not
speak Cantonese

2) Determine whether each of the arguments below is valid. After that, check for the truth
value of each of the premises and conclusion.

valid invalid

all a) e)
premises P1: No human can fly unaided. T P1: Some CU students of wear glasses. T
are true, P2: Arthur is a human. T P2: All students of this course are CU
and C: Arthur cannot fly unaided. T students._________________________ T
conclusio C: Some students of this course wear
n is true. glasses. T
Valid / Invalid Valid / Invalid
all b) f) P1: All monkeys are mammals. T
premises P2: All humans are mammals. T
are true, C: All humans are monkeys. F
and Valid / Invalid
conclusio
n is false.
not all c) g)
premises P1: All students of CU are members P1: All whales have wings. F
are true, of the Communist Party. F P2: No creature can live in water unless it
and P2: All members of the Communist has wings.______________________ F
conclusio Party are human beings. T C: All whales live in water. T
n is true. C: All students of CU are human
beings. T
Valid / Invalid
 Valid / Invalid
not all d) h)
premises P1: All CU students are genius. F P1: All cats have long tails. F
are true, P2: No genius needs oxygen to live. P2: All things that can sing have long tails.
and F F
conclusio C: No CU student needs oxygen to C: All cats can sing. F
n is false. live. F
Valid / Invalid Valid / Invalid

* 多數情況下，不能純粹由前提、結論於事實上的真偽判斷論證的對確與否

3) Identify the form of each of the following arguments. Then determine whether it is or it is
not a valid form. (The forms of arguments (i)-(l) are not ones we have talked about in PPT. See if
you can identify them.)

a) Some people claim that that “freedom is a natural part of the human condition.” Nothing
could be further from the truth. If it were true, we could expect to find free societies spread
throughout human history. We do not. valid. Hidden conclusion + Modus Tollens (逆斷論).

b) Jimmy is walking the dog or Cathy is feeding the cat. Cathy is feeding the cat. Therefore
Jimmy is not walking the dog. not a valid form. 冇寫明 but not both. (inclusive or).

c) Jimmy is walking the dog or Cathy is feeding the cat. Cathy is not feeding the cat. Therefore
Jimmy is walking the dog. valid. 假設前提為真. disjunctive syllogism (析取句三段論).

d) If X is a man, then X is a human being. If X is a human being, then X is an animal. Therefore, if

X is a man, then X is an animal. valid. chain argument.
e) If I do not have Yellow Tail sashimi, then I will have scallop sushi instead. Now, I am having
Yellow Tail sashimi. So I will not have scallop sushi. not a valid form. 否定前項. 前項 P 是後項
Q 的充分條件，非必要條件. Not P 唔等於 Not Q.

f) If some sheep are black, then some ducks are pink. It is not true that some ducks are pink.
Therefore, it is not true that some sheep are black. valid. Modus Tollens (逆斷論).

g) Peter will not get infected unless he is old. He is old. Therefore he will get infected.
not a valid form: If not P, then not Q. P. Therefore Q. (Denying the antecedent)
(Statement of the form “A unless B” can be translated into “If not B, then A.”)

h) Peter will get infected only if he is old. Peter is not old. Therefore Peter will not get infected.
Valid form: If P then Q. Not Q. Therefore not P. (Modus Tollens)
(Statement of the form “P only if Q” can be translated into “If P then Q”)

i) The leader of this city is lying or ignorant. If he is lying, then he is not morally fit to be a ruler.
If he is ignorant, then he is not intellectually fit to be a ruler. Therefore this city’s leader is not
fit to be a ruler, morally or intellectually. Valid (constructive dilemma).

j) If you know that you are attending a lecture, then you are absolutely certain that you are not
merely dreaming of having a lecture. If you are justified in believing that you are having a
lecture, then you are justified in believing that you are not merely a brain-in-a-vat (BIV) within
the simulation of a lecture. But since you are not absolutely certain that you are not merely
dreaming of having a lecture or you are not justified in believing that you are not a merely BIV
within the simulation of a lecture, you don’t know that you are having a lecture or you are not
justified in believing that you are. Valid (destructive dilemma).

k) 所有美女都有男朋友。小美有男朋友。所以小美是美女。Invalid. affirming the

consequent (肯定後項).
l) 所有好學生都不會走堂。大強是好學生。所以大強不會走堂。 Valid. Modus Ponens (正
斷論)

4) Suppose each of the following is a deductive argument. Determine whether it is sound or

not. Briefly explain your answer.
a) The novel Crime and Punishment is written by Charles Dickens. Since Crime and Punishment
is a romantic novel, Charles Dickens has written at least one romantic novel. unsound (the
premises are both false even though the argument is valid)

b) Since some fruits are red, and some fruits are apples, it follows that some fruits are red
apples. unsound (some fruits are red can be strawberry, some fruits are apples can be green =
invalid)

c) Since Hong Kong is west of Tokyo and east of Tibet, it follows that Tokyo is east of Tibet.
Soundness = 真確

5) The following argument combines more than one of the argument forms we have learnt. Can
you identify them?
(a) 如果 Logic 的學生出席率不足 50% (P)，那麼 Arthur 會惱羞成怒毒打學生 (Q)。(b) 如果
他惱羞成怒毒打學生 (Q)，那麼他將被中大開除 (R)。c) 如果他被中大開除 (R)，那麼學生
將會高興 (S) 或 (or) 香港股市會大瀉 (T)。(d) 學生既不會高興 (not S)，(and) 香港股市亦不
會大瀉 (not T)。所以(e) Logic 的學生出席率並非不足 50% (not P)。此外，(f) 如果 Logic 的
學生出席率不足 50% (P)，則它不受學生歡迎 (U)。由此可見，(g) Logic 並非不受學生歡迎
(not U)。