Final answer:
People struggle with categorical syllogisms due to unwarranted assumptions, emotional influence, and logical mistakes such as false dichotomies and circular reasoning, which lead to false or irrelevant premises and inadequate conclusions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Difficulties with Categorical Syllogisms
People may struggle with categorical syllogisms due to several factors. One common issue is the fallacy of unwarranted assumption, where an argument relies on an unjustified belief. This can make the premises false, questionable, or irrelevant. Emotional influence is another significant factor, as negative feelings towards an individual can cloud the assessment of their argument, leading to a rejection of the categorical syllogism.
Furthermore, fallacies like false dichotomy, where only two options are presented when more exist, contribute to the difficulty. In the context of a syllogism, errors in the premises, such as circular reasoning or premises that are inadequate to support the conclusion, lead to incorrect inferences. Humans, despite their reasoning capabilities, can also succumb to cognitive biases and logical mistakes, which impede their ability to correctly apply the rules of logic to categorical syllogisms.