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Construct a conclusion. Then, determine if you produced a true and valid conclusion. Explain your reasoning.

1) If you accept the hypothesis, then you accept the conclusion.
2) You accept the conclusion.
Conclusion:

User PEPP
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1 Answer

2 votes

Answer:

A possible conclusion based on the given statements is:

3) You accept the hypothesis.

This conclusion is **true**, but not **valid**. To explain my reasoning, I will use the following definitions:

- A **true** conclusion is one that is consistent with reality or the facts.

- A **valid** conclusion is one that follows logically from the premises.

In this case, the conclusion is true because it matches the first statement, which is a conditional statement. If the antecedent (you accept the hypothesis) is true, then the consequent (you accept the conclusion) is also true. However, the conclusion is not valid because it commits a logical fallacy called **affirming the consequent**. This fallacy occurs when one infers the antecedent from the consequent and the conditional statement, even though there may be other possible causes for the consequent. For example, suppose the statements are:

1) If it rains, then the grass is wet.

2) The grass is wet.

The conclusion that it rains is not valid, because there may be other reasons why the grass is wet, such as sprinklers or dew. Similarly, in this case, there may be other reasons why you accept the conclusion, besides accepting the hypothesis. Therefore, the conclusion does not follow logically from the premises.