Question

All Covid-19 patients are fighters No Covid-19 patients are children Therefore, no children are fighters Which one among the following options determines the mood, figure, and fallacy of the above argument?

• A. AEE, III Figure, Illicit Major
• B. AEE, II Figure, Undistributed Middle
• C. AEE, III Figure, Illicit Minor
• D. AEE, II Figure, Existential Fallacy

Hint:

In a syllogism, the Illicit Major fallacy occurs when the major term is distributed in the conclusion but is not distributed in the major premise.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Analyzing the Argument Structure.
The argument uses categorical syllogism and consists of three propositions: 1. All Covid-19 patients are fighters (A proposition) 2. No Covid-19 patients are children (E proposition) 3. Therefore, no children are fighters (E proposition) Step 2: Identifying the Mood and Figure.
- The mood of the syllogism is AEE, as it starts with an A proposition, followed by an E proposition, and ends with an E proposition. - The figure is determined by the position of the middle term in the premises. In this case, the middle term "Covid-19 patients" appears in the first and second positions, making it Figure III. Step 3: Identifying the Fallacy.
The fallacy here is an "Illicit Major" because the major term (fighters) is distributed in the conclusion, but it is not properly distributed in the major premise. This invalidates the argument. Step 4: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (A) because the argument has the mood AEE, the figure III, and commits the Illicit Major fallacy.