Question

T/F: A valid conclusion can be drawn from the premises of this hypothetical syllogism: If Ben is beheaded tomorrow, Ben will die tomorrow. Ben will not be beheaded tomorrow. Therefore,....

Answer 1

A student asked whether a valid conclusion can be drawn from given premises about Ben's potential death; however, the conclusion is not provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is whether a valid conclusion can be drawn from the premises of the provided hypothetical syllogism. In logic, a valid argument is one where the structure of the argument guarantees that if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true as well. This question involves understanding deductive reasoning and hypothetical syllogism.

The given hypothetical syllogism is: If Ben is beheaded tomorrow, Ben will die tomorrow. Ben will not be beheaded tomorrow. To evaluate the validity of the conclusion here, one would likely utilize the form known as modus tollens, which states:

1. If X, then Y.
2. Not Y.
3. Therefore, not X.

However, since the conclusion of the hypothetical argument isn't provided, we cannot assess whether the inferred conclusion is valid or not. To be valid, the conclusion would need to follow that since "Ben will not be beheaded tomorrow" (Not X), nothing can be directly concluded about "Ben will die tomorrow" (Y), as there could be other causes of death, not just beheading. The false assumption that not X implies not Y is called denying the antecedent and is a logical fallacy. Thus, without a specific conclusion stated, we cannot evaluate its validity.