Final answer:
Determining if propositions are true or false involves using critical thinking to assess statements against established knowledge or empirical tests. This practice enhances analytical skills across various subjects by matching observations and expectations, as seen with examples involving gravity, the moon's composition, and the ethics of plagiarism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The task of determining whether given propositions are true or false is a common exercise in critical thinking and can apply to various subjects such as mathematics, science, and social studies. This type of exercise helps students in developing analytical skills to assess the validity of statements by scrutinizing them against established knowledge or conducting empirical tests, like the scientific method. In subjects like history or social studies, it might involve comparing statements against historical facts or societal norms.
For example, a scientific statement such as 'An apple falls from a tree because of gravity' can be proven true by empirical evidence. On the other hand, a statement such as 'The moon is made out of green cheese' is false, and the correct statement based on astronomical observations would be that the moon is made of rock. In the context of history or moral philosophy, a statement like 'Plagiarism is dishonest' would be considered true given the ethical consensus that plagiarism involves taking someone else's work without credit, which is dishonest.
In evaluating whether a proposition is true, one may ask questions like 'If my hypothesis is true, what would I expect to observe?' and 'Does what I actually observe match what I predicted?' This process helps to affirm or refute the initial proposition.