Reasoning and Critical Thinking Research 

Reasoning and Critical Thinking Research

Instructions/Descriptions

Reasoning and Critical Thinking Research

PHI1101Q: Reasoning and Critical Thinking (Winter 2020): Final Exam A I. Put the following arguments into standard form, and then diagram them. (12/50)

(a) Our current test-score driven approach to teacher evaluation is failing. Here’s why: teachers are spending way too much time in the classroom teaching to standardized tests and so not spending enough time on personalized student development; test-scores are at best only a partial measure of student development; since there is great pressure for results and little reward for creativity in education, many of the best teachers are simply being turned off from the vocation and leaving the profession.

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(b) Once you have killed someone, there’s no way to bring him back to life. So if the state mistakenly executes someone, there’s no way to fix the mistake. Yet the justice system is known to make mistakes even in trials for murder and other serious crimes, as is proved by the cases of Donald Marshall and Guy Paul Morin. Thus, if we reinstate the death penalty, it is entirely possible that we will commit irreversible injustice by killing innocent people. For this reason, if for no other, we should not do so.

(c) It is very unlikely that research using animals will be unnecessary or poorly done. Before an experiment using a vertebrate animal is carried out, the protocol for that experiment must be reviewed by an institutional committee that includes a veterinarian and a member of the public, and during the research the animal’s health and care are monitored regularly.

Researchers need healthy animals for study in science and medicine, because unhealthy animals could lead to erroneous results. This is a powerful incentive for scientists to make certain that any animals they use are healthy and well-nourished. Furthermore, research involving animals is expensive, and because funding is limited in science, only high- quality research is able to compete effectively for support.

(d) Why should selective cutting be implemented? The Amazonian forest contains 20 to 60 trees in acre, but only one or two can be used for industrial purposes. Only these trees can be felled economically because exploration requires heavy, expensive, high-oil- consumption equipment. This machinery can be amortized only by cutting large, high-

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yield trees. The main advantage of selective cutting is that the younger trees get more access to light and water, accelerating the natural growth cycle of the forest.

1. (A) Symbolize the following arguments using the letters provided, and (b) show that each argument is valid by constructing proofs of their conclusions from their premises using the rules of inference we have studied in this course. (12/50)

(a) If Smith once beat the fireman at billiards, then Smith is not the fireman. Smith once beat the fireman at billiards. If the brakeman is Jones, then Jones is not the fireman. The brakeman is Jones. If Smith is not the fireman and Jones is not the fireman, then Robinson is the fireman.

If the brakeman is Jones and Robinson is the fireman, then Smith is the engineer. Therefore, Smith is the engineer. (O— Smith once beat the fireman at billiards; M— Smith is the fireman; B— the brakeman is Jones; N— Jones is the fireman; F— Robinson is the fireman; G— Smith is the engineer.)

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(b) If Xavier takes Spanish, then Yolanda tutors him. Zeke pays Yolanda if she tutors Xavier. Either Waldo or Xavier takes Spanish. Waldo does not take Spanish; also Yolanda doesn’t tutor Xavier. So, Zeke pays Yolanda, but Waldo doesn’t take Spanish. (X— Xavier takes Spanish; Y— Yolanda tutors Xavier; Z— Zeke pay Yolanda; W— Waldo takes Spanish.)

(c) If Anderson was nominated, then she went to Boston. If she went to Boston, then she campaigned there. If she campaigned there, she met Douglas. Anderson did not meet Douglas. Either Anderson was nominated or someone more eligible was selected. Therefore, someone more eligible was selected. (A— Anderson was nominated; B— Anderson went to Boston; C— Anderson campaigned in Boston; D— Anderson met Douglas; E— Someone more eligible was selected.)

(d) If Santacruz is injured, then she will not play. And if Santacruz does not play, then Khumalo must play. What’s is more, if Khumalo and Nakata both play, then Jones must be moved to the center. In fact, Santacruz is injured and Nakata will play. Thus, Khumalo will play Jones will be moved into the center. (I— Santacruz is injured; S— Santacruz will play; K— Khumalo must play; N— Nakata plays; J— Jones must be moved to the center.)

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III. Discuss the use of Mill’s methods in identifying the possible cause in the following schemes. (4/50) (a) Four friends—Albert, Barbara, Carol, and Donald—ate together at a restaurant. Afterwards, Albert and Donald were violently ill, and suspected that something they had eaten at the restaurant had made them sick.

Albert had eaten shrimp, salad, and chicken; Barbara had rice and chicken; Carol had eaten only shrimp and rice; while Donald ate shrimp, salad, rice, and chicken. Fill in the table below using the above information, and use Mill’s method to formulate a hypothesis about the cause of the sickness. Briefly explain your reasoning. Shrimp Salad Rice Chicken Sick Albert Barbara Carol Donald.

1. (A) provide two examples for moral and factual analogical arguments (one for each and do not use the examples from the texts or slides; use newspaper or internet); (b) specify the points of comparison between the two different subjects in each case; (c) evaluate the arguments. (6/50).

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1. (A) provide a clear and concise description for each of the following fallacies (do not use the descriptions in the texts or slides; you can use other sources but try to use your own rendering); (b) then, provide an example for each of the fallacies (do not use the examples from the texts or slides; use other sources. (16/50).

(a) Begging the Question (b) Appeal to Ignorance (c) False Dilemma (d) Complex Question (e) Ad Hominem (f) Straw Man (g) Definitional Dodge (h) Post Hoc.

Reasoning and Critical Thinking Research

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