MODR1730_SU2020
Lecture 2
Module 1 Homework 1
Gemner Sandoval
217279258
05/17/2020
MODULE 1 HOMEWORK 2 QUESTIONS PUTTING
ARGUMENTS IN STANDARD ARGUMENT FORM
Put the following arguments in standard argument form. List all premises separately. Include only stated
premises and stated conclusions. You are NOT required to supply unstated premises or conclusions. Each
question is worth 2 marks, for a total of 20 marks
1. You shouldn’t lie to friends. Carla is your friend. Therefore, you shouldn’t lie to Carla.
Premise 1 - You should not lie to friends.
Premise 2 - Carla is your friend.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – You should not lie Carla as she is your friend.
2. If you want to catch Bruce’s attention, then you should make sure that your teeth are white. You
want to catch Bruce’s attention. So, you should make sure your teeth are white.
Premise 1 – To get Bruce’s attention, your teeth must be white.
Premise 2 – You want Bruce’s attention.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – To get Bruce’s attention, you must make sure you have white teeth.
3. Abortion raises serious moral questions because abortion involves the taking of a human life, and
anything that involves the taking of a human life raises serious moral questions.
Premise 1 – Abortion raises serious questions on morals for taking human life.
Premise 2 – Taking human life in any form serious moral questions
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – Abortion raises serious moral questions.
4. All living things need some external source of energy. The sun is the only external source of
energy for living things on earth. Thus, all living things on earth need the sun.
Premise 1 – All living things need some external source of energy.
Premise 2 - The sun is the only external source of energy for living things.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – All living things need the sun as it is the only external source energy available.
5. Several Canadian cities have banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Bans on smoking in bars
and restaurants typically result in lower rates of smoking overall. It can be inferred that several
Canadian cities can expect to see an overall decline in smoking.
Premise 1 – Several Canadian cities have banned smoking in bars and restaurants
Premise 2 – Bans on smoking in bars lowers rates of smoking overall.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – Serval Canadian cities expect a overall decline of smoking rates.
6. One who kills a person kills a reasonable creature. One who destroys a good book kills
reason itself. Accordingly, it is almost as serious a wrong to destroy a good book as it is
to kill a person.
Premise 1 – One who kills a person, kills a reasonable creature.
Premise 2 – One who destroys a good book, kills reason itself.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – To destroy a good book is almost as serious of a wrong
as it is to kill a person.
7. People should become vegetarian. Eating meat is not cruel or unethical; it is a natural part
of the cycle of life. Vegetarians mistakenly elevate the value of animal life over plant life.
Every organism on earth dies or is killed, at some point, so others organisms can live.
There is nothing wrong with this cycle; it is how nature works.
Premise 1 – People should not become vegetarians.
Premise 2 – Eating meat is not cruel or unethical; it is a natural part of the cycle of life.
Premise 3 – Vegetarians mistakenly elevate the value of animal life over plant life.
Premise 4 – At some point, every organism will die or be killed so another organism can live.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – Eating animals is not wrong, it is a part of the cycle; it is how nature works.
8. For in almost every professional field, women are still treated as second-class citizens,
and seeing that women must not “adjust” to prejudice. Moreover, because they must
continue to fight for women’s rights. It follows from these facts that young women who
plan to work in our society should be told to fight discrimination.
Premise 1 – women are still treated as second-class citizens in almost every professional field
and seeing that women must not “adjust” to prejudice.
Premise 2 – Moreover because they continue to fight for women’s rights.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – young women who plan to work in our society should be told to fight
discrimination.
9. The only way to judge whether a life of intellectual cultivation is better than a life of
ignorant bliss is to rely upon the testimony of people who have experienced both lifestyles. Those who have experienced both life-styles proclaim that the life of intellect is so
superior that they would prefer it even if it did not involve happiness. The life of intellect
and cultivation, even if it involves dissatisfaction, is superior to the life of ignorant bliss.
Premise 1 – The only way to judge whether a life of intellectual cultivation is better than a
life of ignorant bliss is to rely upon the testimony of people who have experienced both
lifestyles.
Premise 2 – Those who have experienced both lifestyles proclaim that the life of intellect
is so superior that they would prefer it even if it did not involve happiness.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – The life of intellect and cultivation, even if it involves dissatisfaction, is
superior to the life of ignorant bliss.
10. Anything that changes over time has a history. Science also, ever since its emergence
from myths and early philosophies, has experienced a steady historical change and is,
thus a legitimate subject for the historian.
Premise 1 – Anything that changes over time has a history
Premise 2 – Science also, ever since its emergence from myths and early
philosophies have experienced a steady historical change.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒
Conclusion – thus science is a legitimate subject for the historian.