Critical Thinking & Logical Reasoning Flashcards

If it rains, the game is canceled. The game was not canceled. What follows?

Answer: It did not rain

By contrapositive, if the game was not canceled, it did not rain.

Which option weakens the claim 'Studying late at night causes poor grades'?

Answer: Many late-night students earn high grades

Late-night students with high grades contradict the causal claim.

A statement that cannot be both true and false at the same time illustrates:

Answer: The principle of contradiction

The principle of non-contradiction says a claim can't be true and false simultaneously.

'We should ban the proposal because the person who suggested it once lied.' This fallacy is:

Answer: Ad hominem

Attacking the person instead of the proposal is an ad hominem fallacy.

Which inference is valid: 'Some employees are managers, and all managers attended training'?

Answer: Some employees attended training

Since some employees are managers and managers trained, some employees attended training.

What is the main purpose of identifying an author's bias?

Answer: To evaluate the reliability of their argument

Recognizing bias helps judge how much weight to give the argument.

Given 'Either the meeting is Monday or Tuesday. It is not Monday,' the meeting is:

Answer: Tuesday

Eliminating Monday from the two options leaves Tuesday.