Critical Thinking: Reason and Evidence D265
Which sentence is a non- Where are the keys to my car?
proposition?
- If the burglar did not go
out the front door, they
must have gone out a
window.
- The earth is the third planet from
the sun.
- Where are the keys to my car?
- Mount Everest is the tallest
mountain in the world.
Did the company really close It has had a great year.
that deal? It has had a great
year. Where is the president
right now? Let's go ask
whether the deal was
closed.
In the above paragraph, which
sentence expresses a
proposition?
- Where is the president right
now?
- Did the company really close
that deal?
- Let's go ask whether the deal
was closed.
- It has had a great year.
Propositions Statements that can be true or false.
Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or
Non-propositions
fiction). They do not make a claim that can be true or
false.
,Which sentence expresses a The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
complex proposition?
- Birthday parties can be really
fun.
- The cat ate the food, but did
not like it.
- Too many employees are
used to high- stress work
environments in the United
States.
- Why did the monkey escape,
and who is responsible?
If the computer is not fixed, The computer is not fixed. The company needs to buy a new
then the company either computer. The company will not be able to keep up
needs to buy a new one or will productivity.
not be able to keep up
productivity.
Which of the following breaks
down the complex proposition
above into the simple
propositions?
- If the computer is not
fixed, then the company
needs to buy a new one.
The company will not be
able to keep up
productivity.
- The computer is not fixed.
The company needs to buy
a new computer. The
company will not be able
to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed.
The company either needs to
buy a new one or will not be
able to keep up productivity.
- The company does not
have enough computers.
Simple propositions have no internal logical structure,
Simple propositions meaning whether they are true or false does not depend
on whether part of them is true or false. They are simply
, true or false on their own.
Complex propositions have internal logical structure,
Complex propositions meaning they are composed of simple propositions.
Whether they are true or false depends on whether their
parts are true or false.
If the new employee wants The new employee wants to succeed.
to succeed, then they need
to show up on time. How
many times have we heard
the manager complain about
tardiness? Nobody likes a 7
a.m. start time, but it was in the
job description. We should
remind the new employee how
important this is.
Which is a simple
proposition that is
expressed in the above
paragraph?
- The new employee wants to
succeed.
- How many times have we
heard the manager
complain about
tardiness?
- The employees look out for
each other.
- If the new employee wants
to succeed, then they need
to show up on time.
, The U.S. healthcare system is Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
difficult to navigate, and this
negatively affects many of us.
Many people are unsure
exactly how their health
insurance coverage works and
are not sure where they can go
to get care. What can be
done to improve this? If
changes are not made soon,
the problem will only get
worse.
Which is a simple
proposition that is
expressed in the above
paragraph?
- Many people are not sure
where they can go to get
care.
- The U.S. healthcare system
is difficult to navigate, and
this negatively affects many
of us.
- What can be done to improve
this?
- Many people are unsure
exactly how their health
insurance coverage works
and are not sure where they
can go to get care.
Every argument with the same structure as this argument is
bad (invalid or weak). The premises do not, in fact,
Bad inferential structure
demonstrate or maybe even support the conclusion. In other
words, we can accept the premises as true without being
compelled to accept the conclusion. There is something
wrong with this argument's general structure.
This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is
False premise
false. There is something wrong with this argument's
particular content.
Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we may
Conclusion Indicators
conclude that, implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators Because, for, given that, in that, as, since, as indicated by
"Since we cannot go out until - We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
Which sentence is a non- Where are the keys to my car?
proposition?
- If the burglar did not go
out the front door, they
must have gone out a
window.
- The earth is the third planet from
the sun.
- Where are the keys to my car?
- Mount Everest is the tallest
mountain in the world.
Did the company really close It has had a great year.
that deal? It has had a great
year. Where is the president
right now? Let's go ask
whether the deal was
closed.
In the above paragraph, which
sentence expresses a
proposition?
- Where is the president right
now?
- Did the company really close
that deal?
- Let's go ask whether the deal
was closed.
- It has had a great year.
Propositions Statements that can be true or false.
Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or
Non-propositions
fiction). They do not make a claim that can be true or
false.
,Which sentence expresses a The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
complex proposition?
- Birthday parties can be really
fun.
- The cat ate the food, but did
not like it.
- Too many employees are
used to high- stress work
environments in the United
States.
- Why did the monkey escape,
and who is responsible?
If the computer is not fixed, The computer is not fixed. The company needs to buy a new
then the company either computer. The company will not be able to keep up
needs to buy a new one or will productivity.
not be able to keep up
productivity.
Which of the following breaks
down the complex proposition
above into the simple
propositions?
- If the computer is not
fixed, then the company
needs to buy a new one.
The company will not be
able to keep up
productivity.
- The computer is not fixed.
The company needs to buy
a new computer. The
company will not be able
to keep up productivity.
- The computer is not fixed.
The company either needs to
buy a new one or will not be
able to keep up productivity.
- The company does not
have enough computers.
Simple propositions have no internal logical structure,
Simple propositions meaning whether they are true or false does not depend
on whether part of them is true or false. They are simply
, true or false on their own.
Complex propositions have internal logical structure,
Complex propositions meaning they are composed of simple propositions.
Whether they are true or false depends on whether their
parts are true or false.
If the new employee wants The new employee wants to succeed.
to succeed, then they need
to show up on time. How
many times have we heard
the manager complain about
tardiness? Nobody likes a 7
a.m. start time, but it was in the
job description. We should
remind the new employee how
important this is.
Which is a simple
proposition that is
expressed in the above
paragraph?
- The new employee wants to
succeed.
- How many times have we
heard the manager
complain about
tardiness?
- The employees look out for
each other.
- If the new employee wants
to succeed, then they need
to show up on time.
, The U.S. healthcare system is Many people are not sure where they can go to get care.
difficult to navigate, and this
negatively affects many of us.
Many people are unsure
exactly how their health
insurance coverage works and
are not sure where they can go
to get care. What can be
done to improve this? If
changes are not made soon,
the problem will only get
worse.
Which is a simple
proposition that is
expressed in the above
paragraph?
- Many people are not sure
where they can go to get
care.
- The U.S. healthcare system
is difficult to navigate, and
this negatively affects many
of us.
- What can be done to improve
this?
- Many people are unsure
exactly how their health
insurance coverage works
and are not sure where they
can go to get care.
Every argument with the same structure as this argument is
bad (invalid or weak). The premises do not, in fact,
Bad inferential structure
demonstrate or maybe even support the conclusion. In other
words, we can accept the premises as true without being
compelled to accept the conclusion. There is something
wrong with this argument's general structure.
This particular argument has a premise/assumption that is
False premise
false. There is something wrong with this argument's
particular content.
Therefore, so, it follows that, hence, thus, entails that, we may
Conclusion Indicators
conclude that, implies that, wherefore, as a result
Premise Indicators Because, for, given that, in that, as, since, as indicated by
"Since we cannot go out until - We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
