Question

QUESTION 2

Consider the following argument: If we put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the
bookcase, the bookcase collapses. We do not put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of
the bookcase. Hence, the bookcase does not collapse. What is the logical form of this argument?
O a. Modus Ponens
O b. Hypothetical Syllogism
c. Denying the antecedent
d. Modus Tollens
e. Disjunctive Syllogism

Answer 1

Modus Tollens

Explanation:

Consider the following argument: If we put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the bookcase, the bookcase collapses. We do not put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the bookcase. Hence, the bookcase does not collapse.

The logical form of this argument is Modus Tollens.

Modus Tollens is a mode of argumentation that involves affirming the consequent of a conditional statement. In this argument, the conditional statement is "If we put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the bookcase, the bookcase collapses." The antecedent of this statement is "we put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the bookcase," and the consequent is "the bookcase collapses."

Modus Tollens is used to prove the negation of the consequent by negating the antecedent. In other words, if the consequent is not true, then the antecedent must also not be true. Thus, in this argument, since we know that the bookcase does not collapse, we can conclude that we did not put all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica on the top shelf of the bookcase.

Therefore, the logical form of this argument is Modus Tollens.