Phil 1001H Exam 1

Simple Website Index

Phil 1001H Exam 1 (10% of grade). Thursday 22 September 2022

I am providing you with the exam questions in advance and expect you will prepare your answers in advance. Answering questions should be a matter of remembering, not thinking for the first time. You may work together in groups in preparing for the exam, but you will write the exam alone by yourself.

For the exam you may use only your pen (no pencils). A blue book will be provided. A copy of the actual test questions will be provided. You may not use any notes, papers or anything else when writing the exam.

The exam has three parts.
Part I below has 9 questions. On the actual exam there will be 7. You must answer only 6.
Part II has 4 questions. On the actual exam there will be 3. You must answer only 2.
Part III Optional extra credit question worth 10 points

Part I: 10 points each. This part has 9 questions. On the actual exam there will be 7. You must answer only 6.

  1. What is an argument by analogy? With your response provide an example.
  2. What is an argument by authority? Explain this and provide two examples of appeals to authority, one legitimate and one illegitimate.
  3. What are the inclusive and the exclusive senses of the word “or”? Explain and provide examples of each.
  4. What is the meaning of Post hoc, ergo propter hoc? Explain the meaning and provide one example.
  5. What is the argument form of Modus ponens? Explain and provide an example.
  6. What is the argument form of Modus tolens? Explain and provide an example.
  7. What is a dilemma? Explain and provide an example..What is a hypothetical syllogism? Explain and provide an example.
  8. What is a hypothetical syllogism? Explain and provide an example.
  9. What is a disjunctive syllogism? Explain and provide an example.

Part II: 20 points each. Only 3 will be on the exam. You must answer only 2.

  1. What are Aristotle’s four causes? List them and give an example of the four causes of something.
  2. What are correlation and causation? Explain how they differ and provide an example of correlation without causation.
  3. What are deductive arguments and inductive arguments? Explain each and provide an example of each.
  4. What is the form of a Reduction (Reductio) ad absurdam? Explain and provide an example.

Part III: Optional extra credit question worth 10 points:
Find an online political advertisement and identify two informal fallacies in it and explain them. (Also, though you do not have to memorize the URL, give me some hints on how I can find it online.)