Second Semester 2014-15

Quiz 1

Course Code:HUM 4001
Course Title:Logic and Reasoning in Socio-Ethical Issues
Date:5 Mar 2015
Time Allowed:40 min

Assessment Weighting:20% of the course total

Name: ______Student ID: ______

Tutorial day: Tue / Fri 10:00am / Fri 1:00pm (Circle One)

Instructions to Candidates

  • Put all the answers in this paper.
  • Please use ball pen to do the test. If you use pencil instead, no appeal of marks will be considered.
  • Total marks: 100

Section One (40 marks)

True/False questions. Put “T” for true and “F” for false in the bracket in response to the question. You get 4 marks for a correct answer no mark for a wrong answer or leaving the bracket blank.

  1. “It is illegal to participate in the Occupy Movement.” is astatement.

Answer: ( T )

2. An argument may have two final conclusions.

Answer: ( F )

3. If two inductive arguments share the same structure and one of them is strong, the other will also be strong.

Answer: ( F )

4.The following argument is an inductiverather than deductive argument: All tycoons are diligent. Steve is a tycoon. Therefore, Steve is diligent.

Answer: ( F )

5. The following is a valid argument: If action A harms an innocent person, it is wrong. Action A does not harm anyone. Therefore, action A is not wrong.

Answer: ( F )

  1. A valid argument may have true conclusion even if all its premises are false.

Answer: ( T )

7. If something is logically possible, it must be physically possible.

Answer: ( F )

  1. A, B, and C are three statements . If the argument {A. Therefore, B} and the argument {B. Therefore, C} are valid, the argument {A. Therefore, C} is also valid.

Answer: ( T )

9. The following is an argument: The only way for HK people to have true democracy is to fight for independence.

Answer: ( F )

10. The premises of the following conjointly support the conclusion:

He will commit suicide unless she marries him. She does not marry him. Therefore, he will commit suicide.

Answer: ( T )

Section Two (15marks)

1. Which statement is a sub-conclusion of the following argument?

(1) It is quite difficult to be a journalist. (2)A journalist needs to have critical awareness of social issues.(3)Moreover, he or she must have a rich background of knowledge. (4) Without such background, it is difficult for him or her to discover the causes behind different social problems.

Answer: ____(3)______

2. Please supplement an additional premise (the implicit premise) to make the following argument valid:

Prostitution is immoral because it treats human body as a mere means.

Answer: __Treating human body as a mere means is immoral______

3. A, B, and C are three statements . The argument {A. Therefore, B} and the argument {A. Therefore, C} are valid, but the argument {B. Therefore, C} is invalid.

A is already given. Suggest an example of B and C.

A: __John and Mary are late.______

B: ______

C: ______

Section Three (45 marks)

a) Draw a diagram representing the following argument using arrow () for inference and numerals for the labelled propositions. You do NOT need to add any implicit premises even if they are required to make the argument good (21 marks).

(1)Under no circumstances, euthanasia should not be legalized in HK. (2) Killing an innocent person is always morally impermissible, and (3) all morally impermissible actions should not be allowed by law. In addition, (4) once we allow doctors to kill patients, patients will no longer trust doctors. Consequently, (5) the medical system will collapse. Finally, (6) if we allow a patient to receive euthanasia when shehas a terminal disease, we are just encouraging people to give up. However, (7) miracles can happen; patients with terminal diseases sometimes can recover.

b) Criticize the argument (24 marks).

(2) is false. For example, if a lunatic tries to kill you and the only to stop him is to kill him, it is permissible to kill him.

(3) is false. It is implausible and inappropriate to outlaw all immoral actions, e.g., lying, refusing to help even when helping requires little sacrifice.

(4) and (5) are false. Euthanasia is legal in some countries, the medical systems of which have not collapsed.

(6) is false. Allowing euthanasia is different from encouraging euthanasia, just as allowing divorce is not encouraging divorce.

END OF PAPER

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