Philosophy 105 Mid-Term Study Guide

I. Know the difference between deduction and induction, and know what is entailed by the concept of validity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Know your informal fallacies, in particular:

a. Argument from Ignorance

b. Appeal to Inappropriate Authority

c. Argument Ad Hominem (both Abusive & Circumstantial)

d. Appeal to Emotion

e. Appeal to Pity

f. Appeal to Force

g. Irrelevant Conclusion (Straw Person & Red Herring)

h. Complex Question & False Dichotomy

i. False Cause (Slippery Slope)

j. Begging the Question

k. Accident

l. Converse Accident

m. Equivocation

n. Amphiboly

o. Composition

p. Division

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Be prepared to recognize legitimate immediate inferences.

a. Contradiction

All S is P  --->  It is not the case that Some S is not P (and vice versa)

No S is P  --->  It is not the case that Some S is P (and vice versa)

b. Subalternation

All S is P  --->  Some S is P

No S is P  --->  Some S is not P

c. Contrary/Subcontrary

All S is P  --->   It is not the case that No S is P

No S is P  --->  It is not the case that All S is P

It is not the case that Some S is P  --->  Some S is not P

It is not the case that Some S is not P  --->  Some S is P

d. Conversion

No S is P  --->  No P is S

Some S is P  --->  Some P is S

e. Obversion

All S is P  --->  No S is non-P

No S is P  --->  All S is non-P

Some S is P  --->  Some S is not non-P

Some S is not P  --->  Some S is non-P

f. Contraposition

All S is P  --->  All non-P is non-S

Some S is not P  --->  Some non-P is not non-S

( PLEASE TURN OVER)

IV. Be able to put categorical syllogisms in standard form, identify their mood and figure, and sketch Venn diagrams to determine validity.  In addition, you should be able to reconstruct arguments from the just the form and know how to show invalidity by presenting clear counter-examples.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

V. Be familiar with the 6 rules we can use to test the validity of standard form categorical syllogisms.