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This document provides instructions for a group assignment for a critical thinking/logic group at Unity University. It instructs students to form groups of 8-10 members with a designated group leader. It states that all students must participate and the leader should not include names of non-participating students. It provides 20 passages and asks the groups to determine if they are arguments or non-arguments, and for arguments to identify the conclusion. It also asks the groups to determine if some arguments are deductive or inductive, and whether deductive arguments are valid or invalid and inductive arguments are strong or weak.

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72 views

Bite Abe

This document provides instructions for a group assignment for a critical thinking/logic group at Unity University. It instructs students to form groups of 8-10 members with a designated group leader. It states that all students must participate and the leader should not include names of non-participating students. It provides 20 passages and asks the groups to determine if they are arguments or non-arguments, and for arguments to identify the conclusion. It also asks the groups to determine if some arguments are deductive or inductive, and whether deductive arguments are valid or invalid and inductive arguments are strong or weak.

Uploaded by

Bernabas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unity University

Critical thinking/Logic Group Assignment (20%)


General Instructions:
 Form a group
 Each group must consist of 8-10 members
 Each group should have one group/team leader
 Every student must participate in doing the assignment
 The group leader must not write the name of a student who did not participate
 Submit the assignment on the FINAL EXAM Day

Determine which of the following passages are arguments. For those that are, identify the
conclusion. For those that are not, attempt to determine the kind of non-arguments.

1. If public education fails to improve the quality of instruction in both primary and secondary
schools, then it is likely that it will lose additional students to the private sector in the years
ahead.
2. Freedom of the press is the most important of our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
Without it, our other freedoms would be immediately threatened. Furthermore, it provides the
fulcrum for the advancement of new freedoms.
3. It is strongly recommended that you have your house inspected for termite damage at the
earliest possible opportunity.
4. Shut the cage door, you fool! The lions are escaping into the streets!
5. Some over-the-counter medicines should not be given to very young children. For example,
cold medicines contain decongestants and antihistamines. These substances raise blood pressure
and heart rate. If an overdose should occur in a young child, the result can be fatal.
6. Karl Marx believed that the key to human history was class conflict. According to Marxist
theory, the bourgeoisie are locked in inevitable conflict with the proletariat. This bitter struggle
can end only when members of the working class unite in revolution and throw off their chains
of bondage. The result will be a classless society, one free of exploitation, in which everyone
will work according to their abilities and receive according to their needs.

Determine whether the following arguments are best interpreted as being inductive or
deductive.

7. Either classical culture originated in Greece, or it originated in Egypt. Classical culture did not
originate in Egypt. Therefore, classical culture originated in Greece.

8. If Alexander the Great died from typhoid fever, then he became infected in India. Alexander
the Great did die from typhoid fever. Therefore, he became infected in India.

9. It seems likely that young people will be at war with old people in another 15 or 20 years. You
can see it coming in the numbers. In 1900 only 1 percent of the population was older than 75.
Today 4 percent of all Americans are more than 75 years old, and in a few years it’s going to be
5 percent . . . 13 million people.

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10. The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution
is, in fact, and must be regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It therefore belongs to them
to ascertain its meaning, as well as the meaning of any particular act proceeding from the
legislative body.

Determine whether the following deductive arguments are valid or invalid

11. Since the Department of Defense Building in Washington, D.C. has the shape of a hexagon,
it follows that it has seven sides.

12. The longest river in South America is the Amazon, and the Amazon flows through Brazil.
Therefore, the longest river in South Africa flows through Brazil.

The following arguments are inductive. Determine whether each is strong or weak

13. Most famous movie stars are millionaires. Leonardo Di Caprio is a famous movie star.
Therefore, probably Di Caprio is a millionaire.

14. Constructing the great pyramid at Giza required lifting massive stone blocks to great heights.
Probably the ancient Egyptians had some antigravity device to accomplish this feat.

Determine whether the following arguments are inductive or deductive. If the argument is
inductive, determine whether it is strong or weak. If it is deductive, determine whether it is
valid or invalid.

15. This figure is a Euclidean triangle. Therefore, the sum of its angles is equal to two right
angles.

16. Robert has lost consistently at blackjack every day for the past several days. Therefore, it is
very likely that he will win today.

17. Since John loves Nancy and Nancy loves Peter, it follows necessarily that John loves Peter.

18. If inflation heats up, then interest rates will rise. If interest rates rise, then bond prices will
decline. Therefore, if inflation heats up, then bond prices will decline.

19. Statistics reveal that 86 percent of those who receive flu shots do not get the flu. Jack
received a flu shot one month ago. Therefore, he should be immune, even though the flu is going
around now.

20. The vast majority of Rose Bowl games (in Pasadena, CA) have been played in freezing cold
weather. Therefore, probably the next Rose Bowl game will be played in freezing cold weather.

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