A BRIEF LESSON IN LOGIC Principles of Reasoning and Argument

Modus ponens is a Latin term meaning "in the mood of affirming";
modus tollens
means "in the mood of denying."

 

Modus Ponens(MP)   Modus Tollens(MT) Disjunctive Syllogism (DS)

1. If P then Q                 1. If P then Q.                               1. Either P or Q.

2. P                               2. Not Q.                                      2. Not P

3. Therefore, Q.             3. Therefore not P.                        3. Therefore, Q.

Fallacy of affirming the consequent: 1. If P then Q. 2. Q. 3. Therefore, P

Fallacy of denying the antecedent: 1. If P then Q. 2. Not P. 3. Therefore, not Q.

 

 Disjunctive syllogism. Deuteronomy 30:15-19

 

A necessary condition is one that must prevail before a second condition can occur.

 

A sufficient condition is one that is adequate for another condition to succeed.

 

The Law of Identity.

 

Self Refutation.

 

 Contradictory statements are those that necessarily have the opposite truth values-one is true and the other false.

 

When we say that the propositions "All S are P" and "No S are P" are contraries, we mean that they cannot both be true. At least one of them must be false (in fact, both may be false.

 

Converse forms of propositions are given the names A, E, I, and O: A = All S are P (converse = AI I P are S), E = No S are P (converse = No P are S), I = Some S are P (converse = Some P are S), and O = Some S are not P (converse = Some P are not S). Note that in each case, the converse simply switches the subject and predicate terms S and P. When you convert an E or I statement, the new statement is logically equivalent; that is, the converted statement will have the very same truth

 
Appeal to pity.

Appeal to the people.

Ad hominem.

Genetic fallacy.

Straw man.

Red herring.

Begging the question.

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