What is the conclusion of the following argument? How does one know that there exist in the world other minds—that is, others having feelings and other subjective experiences? One can observe that one’s own experiences are connected to publicly observable phenomena, that other people exhibit publicly observable phenomena, and therefore other people also must have subjective experiences. For example, one may observe that when one stubs a toe, one feels pain and cries “ouch.” Then if other people—who are physically similar to oneself—also stub their toes and cry “ouch,” one can conclude that they also experience pain.

Identify the fallacy or rhetorical device that best applies to the following passage:  Judges should not hand down anything but maximum sentences for all convicted criminals. If you start making exceptions, prosecutors will start asking for lighter sentences. Next thing you know, every criminal will be getting off with mere warnings.

Which of the following is not possible? 

What is the conclusion of the following argument? If one acts to prevent a woman from having an abortion, one is acting to prevent her from having autonomy over her body.  Hence, if one acts to prevent a woman from having an abortion, one is acting contrary to the principles of individual freedom that are the foundation of our democracy.  Hence, the current president is acting contrary to these principles.  Consequently, this President does not deserve the support of the American people. 

What premise will make the following argument deductively valid? Of course Ted is an American; Ted lives in Arkansas. 

Identify the fallacy in the following passage: Mike Tepp tried to convince the board that it would be most profitable to invest in the advertising department.  That seems like a convenient position for someone taking over the advertising department next month. 

What is the conclusion of the following argument? I think everyone would agree that life is worth protecting, and that the environment sustains all of us. It stands to reason, then, that we need to protect the environment. One particular threat to the environment is the emission of greenhouse gasses. This is because greenhouse gasses trap the energy of the sun, causing the warming of the planet, and the warming of the planet could have catastrophic effects on the environment. Clearly we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

If the following contains an argument, identify the conclusion: No one living in Pompeii could have survived the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The reason is simple: the lava was flowing too fast and there was nowhere to go to escape it in time. So, this account of the eruption, which claims to have been written by an eyewitness living in Pompeii, was not actually written by an eyewitness.

Specify the conclusion of the following, if it is an argument: “Whether our argument concerns public affairs or some other subject we must know some, if not all, of the facts about the subject on which we are to speak and argue. Otherwise, we can have no materials out of which to construct arguments.”  

What is the chief characteristic of deductive arguments?