Philosophy Reviewer: Reasoning and Fallacies

Reasoning in Syllogisms

• Fundamental goal of reasoning in a syllogism is to derive valid conclusions from premises.
• An example of a disjunctive premise is "Either frogs or carabaos have mammary glands," presenting two alternatives.

Deductive and Inductive Arguments

• A deductive argument becomes invalid if the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises.
• A sound deductive argument has valid reasoning and true premises, leading to a true conclusion.
• Inductive arguments aim to provide probable support for their conclusions rather than definitive proof.
• The main purpose of any argument is to persuade or convince others of a particular point of view or claim.

Syllogism Types

• A hypothetical syllogism involves conditional statements, typically structured as "If P, then Q."
• The conclusion in a syllogism is typically the statement drawn from the premises.

Premises and Functions

• A premise in an argument is a supporting statement that provides the foundation for the conclusion.
• Roots primarily function to anchor the plant, absorb water and nutrients, and store energy.

Plant Characteristics and Processes

• Gymnosperms are characterized by having exposed seeds and needle-like leaves; examples include conifers.
• The process of growth from a seed to a seedling is called germination.
• Plasmodesmata are channels through the plant cell wall that facilitate the movement of molecules and substances between cells.

Reproduction and Life Cycles

• The diploid sporophyte stage produces spores through meiosis, which then divide by mitosis to form the haploid gametophyte.
• The umbrella term covering the formation of an embryo from a zygote, seed germination, and growth of mature plants from the embryo is known as plant development.
• Photosynthesis is the process through which plants convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
• The main purpose of the shoot system in plants is to support photosynthesis, reproductive structures, and transport of nutrients and water.

Reproductive Development in Bryophytes

• In bryophytes, such as mosses, the gametophyte is the dominant stage and appears more developed than the sporophyte.
• The process of producing new offspring in plants is known as plant reproduction, which can be sexual or asexual.

Test your knowledge on reasoning and fallacies in philosophy with this quiz. Learn about types of reasoning and the concept of minor premise in arguments.