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Consider the following conditional: "If you attended today's class meeting, you have an advantage on this quiz." Which of the following phrases could be used as the second premise in a deductively valid argument:

A. 'You attended today's class meeting.'
B. 'You didn't attend today's class meeting.'
C. 'You have an advantage on this quiz.'
D. None of these.

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The second premise for a valid deductive argument based on the given conditional is 'You attended today's class meeting.' This matches with option A and fits the modus ponens argument structure, ensuring a valid deduction if the premises are true.

Step-by-step explanation:

The second premise in a deductively valid argument to accompany the conditional 'If you attended today's class meeting, you have an advantage on this quiz' would be 'You attended today's class meeting,' represented by option A.

This structure forms a modus ponens argument, which is a valid deductive inference. Modus ponens can be represented as follows:

  1. If X, then Y.
  2. X.
  3. Therefore, Y.

By substituting 'X' with 'attending today's class meeting' and 'Y' with 'having an advantage on this quiz,' if both premises are true, then the conclusion that 'you have an advantage on this quiz' must necessarily be true.

Options B and C do not create a valid deductive argument because they commit common fallacies known as denying the antecedent and affirming the consequent, respectively.

User Markus Madeja
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