Logic and Reason Assignment
1. Classify each argument as deductive, inductive, or abductive. Justify your choices.
a) John knows that all the balls in the bag are red
John sees some read balls on the table
John concludes that they are from the bag
b) Molly takes a random sample of balls from the bag
Molly observes that all the balls are red
Molly concludes that all the balls in the bag are red
c) Matt knows that all the balls in the bag are red
Someone tells Matt that they have just taken a ball from the bag
Matt concludes that the ball just taken is red
2. Remember Philosophy High School (PHS)? Assume that 100% of students believed in
a soul. Would that make the conclusion deductive or inductive? Explain your reasoning.
3. Judge each of the following as strong or weak. Justify your judgment.
a) Seven people have come forward as witnesses, to testify that they saw Mark
throwing ice balls in the schoolyard after school Friday. Therefore, it is likely
that Mark threw ice balls in the school yard on Friday.
b) All past Speakers of the House of Commons have been men. Therefore, it is
likely that the next Speaker will be a woman.
c) So far, every time I have predicted some future event based on patterns I have
observed in past events, I have been successful. I am about to predict a future
event based on a pattern I have observed in past events. My prediction will be
successful.
4. Using the following information, what, if anything, can you deduce about the
murderer?
 Either Sean was the murderer, or Connor was the murderer, or both worked
together
 If Sean was the murderer, then Sean was in Ottawa on the day of the murder
 If Connor was not the murderer, then the weapon was a candlestick holder
 Sean was in Ottawa on the day of the murder
 A car jack was the weapon