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If animal species are fixed and immutable, then evolution is a myth. Therefore, evolution is not a myth since animal species are not fixed and immutable. What is the argument form?

1) Modus Ponens
2) Modus Tollens
3) Hypothetical Syllogism
4) Counterexample

User Dhpiggott
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The argument presented is an example of Modus Tollens, a logical reasoning form used to refute the misconception that animal species are fixed and immutable and therefore disprove the statement that evolution is a myth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The argument provided is an example of Modus Tollens, which is one of the common forms of logical reasoning. Modus Tollens is structured as follows: If P, then Q. Not Q. Therefore, not P. In this context, P is 'animal species are fixed and immutable' and Q is 'evolution is a myth'. As the statement is that species are not fixed and immutable, it follows by Modus Tollens that evolution is not a myth.

This reasoning reflects modern biological understanding, as evolution by natural selection is widely accepted in the scientific community as the mechanism that explains the diversity of life on Earth. The assertion that animal species are fixed and immutable conflicts with the overwhelming evidence of genetic and fossil records that support evolution.

An important note is that the misconceptions about evolution, such as the idea that evolution is a completely random process or that it's not a well-founded theory, have been corrected over time. However, evolution can't be observed occurring in real time, strong evidence in the fossil record, shared DNA sequences, and observed examples of natural selection support its validity.

User Hserge
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