Exam Questions Socrates's Two Favorite Questions Ch.3 1e

Test Bank

Quiz questions set 1. On Types of Definitions. True or False?

1. A definition is an explanation of the meaning of a word or words.
2. Two primary purposes of a definition are to remove ambiguity and to remove vagueness.
3. An extensional definition lists the qualities or properties something must possess in order to be a member of the extension.
4. An intensional definition lists the qualities or properties something must possess in order to be a member of the extension.
5. ^A stipulative definition gives the commonly understood meaning of a term.
6. A theoretical definition gives the scientific meaning of a term.
7. A persuasive definition states one person’s opinion of the meaning of a term.
8. A lexical definition gives the commonly understood meaning of a term.
9. A precising definition gives the theoretical meaning of a term.
10. ^A stipulative definition is stated in order to give a new meaning to a term.
11. A dictionary definition is a lexical definition.
12. A word is vague if it has two or more meanings and we cannot tell, given the context, which meaning is intended.
13. A word is ambiguous if it has two or more meanings and we cannot tell, given the context, which meaning is intended.
14. ^A word is vague if it has borderline cases.
15. A word is ambiguous if it has borderline cases.
16. A borderline case is one in which we are not sure whether or not a word applies.
17. ^This is an intensional definition: “Rock band” means a group like the Beatles, the Doors, the Animals, etc.
18. This is an extensional definition: “Rock band” means groups like the Beatles, the Doors, the Animals, etc.
19. This is an intensional definition: “Square” means “a planar, four-sided figure with four equal sides and four equal angles.”
20. This is an extensional definition: “Square” means “a planar, four-sided figure with four equal sides and four equal angles.”
21. As it is commonly used, the following word is vague: “wealthy.”
22. ^As it is commonly used, the following phrase is vague: “legally an adult.”
23. As it is commonly used, the following word is vague: “loud.”
24. In some contexts, the following word is ambiguous: “bank.”
25. ^As it is commonly used, the following word is vague: “bald.”
26. Ambiguous and vague mean the same thing.
27. A deductive argument aims to show that its conclusion is probably true, but not certain, if its premises are true.
28. An inductive argument aims to show that its conclusion must be true if its premises are true.

Quiz questions set 2. Using the rules for intensional definitions, critique the following definitions.

a. “Baseball player” means an athlete who plays a game that involves throwing a ball.

b. “Truck driver” means “someone who drives a great big truck for a living.”

c. “Roofer” means “a man who puts roofs on buildings.”

g.“Philosophy” means “the activity practiced by philosophers.”

h. “Carpenter’s square” means “a square used by a carpenter.”

Which type of definition?

a. “Silicone” means “a polymer containing alternating silicon and oxygen atoms.”

b. “Heavy metal music” is music such as Ozy Osbourne’s music, music by KISS, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, etc.

c. “Theocracy” means “a system of government administered by priests or religious officials.”

e. “Aerosol” means a liquid substance in a pressurized can such as deodorant in a spray can.

f. “Aurora” means “a radiant emission in the upper atmosphere appearing as luminous bands of light.”

h. “Insulin shock” means “a collapse caused by a decrease in blood sugar caused by the administration of too much insulin.”

Quiz questions set 3. On the nature of an argument. True or False?

1. As “argument” is defined in the text, every argument has at least two premises.
2. ^As “argument” is defined in the text, every argument has exactly one conclusion.
3. As “argument” is defined in the text, an argument is two people angry at each other and yelling.
4. As “argument” is defined in the text, an argument is a conclusion offered in support of one or more premises.
5. ^As “argument” is defined in the text, some arguments may have no premises at all.
6. As “argument” is defined in the text, some arguments may have no conclusion at all.
7. As “argument” is defined in the text, some arguments have neither premises nor conclusions.
8. As “argument” is defined in the text, some arguments have two conclusions.
9. ^According to the text, Aristotle defined truth as the correspondence of a statement or proposition with reality.
10. Aristotle’s definition of truth is called the “correspondence theory of truth.”
11. A premise indicator word is used to signal the presence of a premise.
12. ^A conclusion indicator word is used to flag the presence of a conclusion.
13. Every argument contains at least one premise indicator word and at least one conclusion indicator word.
14. ^If no premise or conclusion indicator word is present, then no argument is present.
15. As “argument” is defined in the text, if two conclusions are present in a passage, then two arguments must be present.
16. Some arguments contain no indicator words of any kind.
17. As “argument” is defined in the text, if two premises are present in a passage, then two arguments must be present, too.
18. ^Some exclamatory sentences are true.
19. Some imperative sentences are true.
20. Some interrogative sentences are true.
21. Some performative sentences are true.
22. The textbook draws an analogy between the structure of an argument and the structure of a building.
23. ^In logic, the term “argument” refers to a heated, nasty verbal fight.

Quiz questions set 4. Argument or not an argument?

1. ^The Beatles were the greatest rock band of all times.
2. The Beatles reached their height of fame and glory in July 1967.
3. I do not recommend buying that stock.
4. Which band do you prefer: The Beatles or the Stones?
5. The world contains much evil, a great deal of evil. An all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing God would never create a place with so much evil. So an all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing God does not exist.
6. ^It is impossible that something pop into being from nothing. But the universe was not created. Therefore, the universe must have simply existed from all eternity.
7. Science indicates that the universe began a finite time ago. It is impossible that something might come into existence without a cause. Therefore, the universe has a cause. The cause of a thing always precedes the effect and is greater than the effect. Therefore, the universe has a transcendent cause that is greater than it. This being is what all reasonable people call “God.”
8. ^It is impossible that something existed before time began. But time began when the universe began. Therefore, it is impossible that something created the universe.

1. If our thoughts are nothing but physical events occurring in our brains, then our thoughts are fully caused by our brains. But our brains are purely material (physical) entities whose workings are ultimately determined by preexisting events and the laws of physics. Therefore, our thoughts are determined by preexisting events and the laws of physics, not by the laws of logic and the rational consideration of evidence.
2. Jimi Hendrix bought his first guitar at Myers Music, located on First Avenue in downtown Seattle, from old man Myers himself.
3. Many people say Ringo was not a good drummer. But they are wrong. He was a very creative drummer in his own day, introducing many new forms into rock ’n’ roll drums. On numerous songs, his drumming is very complex and interesting. He was also extremely steady and solid. It is hard to imagine the Beatles being the Beatles with a different drummer.
4. During the Battle of New Orleans, the American forces chased the British all the way down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The British ran through the briars, and they ran through the brambles, and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go. Those farmers with their squirrel guns really gave ’em hell.
5. It is possible that our thoughts are physical events in our brains and that they track the truth as well. For it is possible that our brains evolved over time to be truth-tracking engines that aim at truth and that often hit it. Therefore, the mere claim that our thoughts are physical events in the brain does not show that they do not aim at truth, nor does it show that our thoughts are irrational and arbitrary.
6. ^Part of the road from Lexington, Massachusetts, to Concord, Massachusetts, is named “Battle Road” in honor of the historic battle fought on the very spot the morning of April 19, 1775.
7. Extreme wealth corrupts a person. Extreme poverty also corrupts. Steeply progressive income taxation is the best way to eradicate extremes in wealth and poverty. Therefore, government should use a steeply progressive income tax so as to prevent extremes in wealth and poverty and thus to make us better people than we otherwise might be.
8. The right to property sets no limit on the amount of property one may justly accumulate, for the right to property is the right to accumulate any possessions as long as one’s possessions result from voluntary exchanges.
9. ^If rocking-horse people eat marshmallow pies, then Lucy will take a newspaper taxi to the sky, where she will find cellophane flowers of yellow and green, towering over her head as people walk by slowly. The flowers there grow so incredibly high!
10. Darn it. I forgot to turn the lights out again!
11. Please consider donating to the fund again this year.
12. Bless the beasts and the children.

21. The Marx Brothers did Vaudeville before they got into the movies. So did the Three Stooges. They were sure funny, weren’t they?

22. That chemical is an acid. Acids donate protons when they are added to water. Therefore, that chemical will donate protons if it is added to water.

23. First, I don’t like tacos, and I don’t like burritos. Second, I can’t stand fish and chips, and I detest fried chicken. I also don’t like hamburgers, French fries, or sub sandwiches. I sure hope we don’t have to eat at fast food places on the trip.

24. In the last election, our opponent unleashed a smear campaign against our candidate, but it happened on the last day of the campaign, so we didn’t have time to respond. As a result, we lost the election.

25. In the current election, Mayor Smith is way behind in the polls and was just indicted for fraud. His opponent in the election just won a Nobel Peace Prize and was voted the most beloved citizen of the city. Mayor Smith will probably lose the race.

26. We have different values. That’s partly why we had so much trouble communicating yesterday.

27. The light from that star displays a peculiar wobble. The only possible explanation of the wobble is that the star has an unseen planet. So it is reasonable to conclude that the star has a planet.

28. First we stopped and got hamburgers. About an hour later we stopped for some tacos. Then we stopped for a corndog about two hours later. At dinner we got fish and chips and onion rings and a couple hotdogs. After that, we got sick.

29. For the past several days, George Kastanza has been doing the opposite of what he would normally do. Each time he has done this, things have turned out successful. Tomorrow George will do the opposite of what he would normally do. So tomorrow things will very likely turn out successful for George.

30.Under slavery, slaves were treated like commodities. Under capitalism, workers are treated in a very similar way, like commodities. Slavery was morally wrong. So capitalism is morally wrong as well.

Quiz questions set 5. On the nature of an argument. Multiple Choice. Choose the one best answer.

1. According to the text, the sentences that compose an argument ought to be:
2. interrogative
3. exclamatory
4. imperative
5. performative
6. declarative
7. ^In an argument, ideally the premises:
8. are supported by the conclusion
9. support the conclusion
10. counterbalance the conclusion
11. are there only as “window dressing”
12. are false
13. ^An argument must have at least ___ premise(s).
14. one
15. two
16. three
17. four
18. five
19. A single argument cannot have more than ___ conclusion(s).
20. one
21. two
22. three
23. four
24. five
25. Arguments are initially defined in the text as:
26. people yelling at each other
27. reasoning put into words
28. mere rationalization
29. the last refuge of the charlatan
30. The text recommends beginning your arguments with premises drawn from:
31. common ground
32. the dictionary
33. your opponent’s point of view
34. statements from the newspaper
35. the Encyclopedia Britannica
36. The purpose of premise and conclusion indicators is to:
37. add bulk to the argument
38. help the reader follow the flow of reasoning
39. alert the reader to possible flaws in the reasoning
40. indicate likely objections to the argument