Botanist: If a plant species originates in a tropical climate, it requires high humidity to thrive. The newly discovered Silvervine plant does not originate in a tropical climate. Therefore, the Silvervine plant does not require high humidity to thrive.
Which one of the following arguments exhibits a flawed pattern of reasoning most similar to that exhibited by the botanist's argument?
- AIf a dog is a greyhound, it is a fast runner. That dog is a fast runner. Therefore, that dog must be a greyhound.
- BIf a smartphone is heavily used, its battery will degrade quickly. This smartphone's battery has not degraded quickly. Therefore, this smartphone has not been heavily used.
- CIf a plant species requires high humidity, it is difficult to grow indoors. The Silvervine plant is difficult to grow indoors. Therefore, it must require high humidity.
- If a vehicle is a commercial airplane, it has wings. This passenger train is not a commercial airplane. Therefore, this passenger train does not have wings.Cevap
- EEvery player on the basketball team is an excellent athlete. Therefore, the basketball team as a whole must be an excellent team.
Cevap
The argument about the passenger train and wings perfectly mirrors the flawed structure of the botanist's argument.
The original argument exhibits a formal logic flaw known as illegal negation. It establishes a conditional statement (If Tropical -> High Humidity), states that the sufficient condition is not met (Not Tropical), and improperly concludes that the necessary condition is also not met (Therefore, Not High Humidity). The correct argument perfectly mirrors this flawed structure: it sets a rule (If Airplane -> Wings), negates the sufficient condition (Not Airplane), and falsely concludes the negation of the necessary condition (Therefore, Not Wings).
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Anahtar Kavram
Parallel Flaw: Illegal Negation