PH160 Final Exam

2013 Spring
Professor Cao
There are THREE sections below: You must complete ALL sections. Follow the
instructions for each section. The total points is 100. The exam time is 10
minutes. !est wishes"
Section I: Deductive Logic
Choose THREE out of the following fve questions and answer them !"#
$ts each%
1. #onstruct a truth table for the followin$ ar$uments an% in%icate whether each
is &ali% or not.
'a( A B
B A
(A & B) v (~A & ~B)
'b( D v E
~D v (E C)
C
. Translate the followin$ ar$ument into s)mbolic form* construct a truth table*
an% in%icate
whether it+s &ali% or not:
The temperature rises only if the water rises. If the water rises, the dam will
break. Either the water rises, or it doesn't rise. The water will not rise. Therefore,
the dam will not break.
,. Assumin$ that the followin$ three statements are true* %etermine who is tellin$
the truth an% who is not.
'i( Either -ohn is tellin$ the truth* or neither Lisa nor -a.e is tellin$ the truth. 'ii(
Either -ohn or Lisa is tellin$ the truth. 'iii( Lisa is tellin$ the truth* an% -a.e is
tellin$ the truth unless -ohn is not tellin$ the truth.
/. For the followin$ ar$ument* 'a( label the minor term* ma0or term* an% mi%%le
term. 'b( Then translate the s)llo$ism into s)mbolic form usin$ the tra%itional S, P,
M letters. 'c( Then %raw a 1enn %ia$ram to test its &ali%it).
Most false reports are not trustworthy, because only trustworthy reports are
authorized ones, and many false reports are not authorized.
2. For each of the followin$ pairs of statements* translate each statement into
stan%ar% form an% in%icate which of the four t)pes of cate$orical statement it is.
Then 3raw a 1enn %ia$ram for each pair of statements an% %etermine whether
the) are e4ui&alent:
'a( 5nl) non6mammals are reptiles7 8othin$ is a reptile unless it is not a mammal
'b( 8ot e&er) rectan$le is a s4uare7 There is a non6s4uare that is not a non6
rectan$le.
Section II: Inductive Logic
Choose THREE out of the following fve questions &elow and answer
them !"# $ts each%
1. For the followin$ enumerati&e in%uction* 'a( i%entif) the tar$et $roup* sample*
an% rele&ant propert)* 'b( in%icate whether the ar$ument is stron$ or wea.* an%
'c( if it+s wea.* explain wh).
random, nationwide poll of se!eral thousand "un owners shows that #$ percent
of them are opposed to "un%control laws. Thus, most adults oppose "un%control
laws.
. For the followin$ analo$ical in%uction* 'a( i%entif) the thin$s compare%* 'b(
in%icate the rele&ant similarities mentione%* 'c( the conclusion* an% '%( whether
the ar$ument is stron$ or wea.. 9f it+s wea.* explain wh).
It is morally wron" to treat humans and other animals discriminatorily. &e are
concerned with human su'erin" and try to lessen the de"ree of their pain( what's
so di'erent about other animals su'erin" such that we do not care about it as
much) Since both in!ol!e the pain of sentient bein"s, we are not *usti+ed to
prefer takin" care of our own species o!er other species.
3. For the following phenomenon, indicte (!) po""i#le h$pothe"i" to e%plin it, (&) po""i#le
competing h$pothe"i", nd (3) te"t impliction for ech h$pothe"i".
The percentage of high school seniors engaging in sexual intercourse has risen dramatically in the past
six years.
/. For the followin$ causal ar$ument* 'a( state the metho% use%* 'b( in%icate
whether it is stron$ or wea.* an% 'c( in%icate whether the cause is a necessar) or
su:cient con%ition 'it coul% also be both or neither(.
,- patients were admitted to Mercy .ospital for pneumonia and all "i!en
standard treatment. fter +!e days, /$ of them were well enou"h to "o home.
The other 0-, howe!er, somehow ac1uired other infections and stayed for another
fourteen days. The only rele!ant common to these 0- patients is that they all
stayed in the same ward 2di'erent from the ward that the other "roup stayed in3.
Somethin" about stayin" in that ward is the cause of the prolon"ed illness.
2. Examine the followin$ two alternati&e theories b) the criteria of simplicit)*
conser&atism* an% testabilit):
Phenomenon4 The winnin" of an election by a relati!ely unknown candidate.
Theory 04 last%minute blitz of T5 ads boosted the candidate's !otes. Theory 64
The candidate was endorsed by a famous con!icted murderer.
Section III: Short Essay esponse
Choose !opic " or !opic # an$ then respon$ to the %&estion prompts 'approximately (00 )or$s*+
,o& m&st respon$ to all s&-.%&estions for each %&estion+ /0 pts
!0PIC ": Egn the egoi"t clim" tht one lw$" h" morl licen"e to p'r"'e whtever i" in one("
own "elf)intere"t. According to Egn, empiricl re"erch "'pport" the clim *nown " +p"$chologicl
egoi"m,, which ""ert" tht ll h'mn ction"-even the mo"t o"ten"i#l$ ltr'i"tic one"-re 'ltimtel$
motivted #$ "elf)intere"t. .iven tht thi" i" tr'e, Egn concl'de", it follow" tht we hve no morl
d't$ other thn to do wht i" #e"t for one"elf.
An"wer the following/ (i) 0h$ might one rg'e tht Egn(" rg'ment i" flwed even if hi" "'pporting
clim(") re tr'e1 2n di"c'""ing the rg'ment, m*e "'re to indicte which clim" re premi"e" nd
which concl'"ion". (33 pt). (ii) 4ffer $o'r own re"oning in "'pport of or gin"t the concl'"ion t
hnd. (!3 pt)
!0PIC #: According to 5rl the 5ntin, one h" morl d't$ to re"pect the dignit$ of rtionl
#eing" #$ never treting them merel$ " men" to n end. 6herefore, 5rl concl'de", it follow" tht
"'icide i" lw$" morll$ impermi""i#le.
An"wer the following/ (i) 0ht i" wrong with 5rl(" rg'ment " it "tnd" nd how cn it #e mde
#etter1 2n di"c'""ing the rg'ment, m*e "'re to indicte which clim" re premi"e" nd which
concl'"ion". (33 pt) (ii) 4ffer $o'r own re"oning in "'pport of or gin"t the concl'"ion t hnd. (!3
pt)