Identifying Valid and Invalid Deductive Arguments

What is the technical term for good deductive reasoning?

• Invalidity

• Inductive reasoning

• Validity

• Truth

Which type of reasoning can be evaluated as valid or invalid?

• Inductive reasoning

• Analogical reasoning

• Abductive reasoning

• Deductive reasoning

What should be kept separate in your mind when evaluating arguments?

• Validity and truth

• Premises and conclusions

• Statements and questions

• Arguments and examples

Can you reason perfectly with falsehoods?

• No, falsehoods always lead to bad reasoning

• Yes, you can reason perfectly with falsehoods

• Only if the conclusion is true

• Only in inductive reasoning

In the example, 'The Sun rises in the morning. Therefore Bobcats have short, stubby tails,' what is true?

• The argument is valid and the statements are true

• The argument is invalid and the statements are false

• The argument is valid but the statements are false

• The argument is invalid but the statements are true

What does a valid argument ensure if the premises are true?

• The premises are guaranteed to be false

• The conclusion is guaranteed to be true

• The conclusion is guaranteed to be false

• The premises are guaranteed to be true

What is the role of structure in a valid argument?

• It guarantees the premises are true

• It guarantees the argument is false

• It guarantees the conclusion is true if the premises are true

• It guarantees the argument is true

In the shell game example, what is the main reason the conclusion might be wrong?

• The structure is invalid

• The premises are false

• The argument is inductive

• The reasoning is flawed

What does validity never promise?

• That the premises are true

• That the conclusion will actually be true

• That the argument is inductive

• That the statements are false

What should you watch out for if any claims in an argument are false?

• The argument is invalid

• The argument has a different kind of shortcoming

• The argument has a flaw in reasoning

• The argument is true