Question

Statements:
Only a few rivers are oceans.
All oceans are seas.
All seas are oceans.

Conclusion:
I. Some rivers are seas is a possibility.
II. All rivers are seas is a possibility.

• A. Neither I nor II follows
• B. Only I follows
• C. Either I or II follows
• D. Both I and II follow

Hint:

Remember the meaning of "Only a few A are B". It always implies both "Some A are B" and "Some A are not B". This is a key concept in modern syllogism questions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We are given three statements and two conclusions. We need to determine which of the conclusions logically follows from the statements using the principles of syllogism.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze the statements first:

Statement 2: "All oceans are seas."
Statement 3: "All seas are oceans." When 'All A are B' and 'All B are A' are both true, it means that A and B are identical sets. So, Oceans = Seas. We can substitute one for the other in any statement.

Statement 1: "Only a few rivers are oceans." The phrase "Only a few A are B" implies two things: 1. Some A are B. (Some rivers are oceans) 2. Some A are not B. (Some rivers are not oceans)
Since Oceans = Seas, we can re-evaluate the implications from Statement 1: 1. Some rivers are seas. (This is a definite conclusion). 2. Some rivers are not seas. (This is also a definite conclusion).
Now let's evaluate the given conclusions:
Conclusion I: Some rivers are seas is a possibility.
From our analysis, we know that "Some rivers are seas" is a definite truth. According to the rules of logic, anything that is definitely true is also considered a possibility. Therefore, Conclusion I follows.
Conclusion II: All rivers are seas is a possibility.
From our analysis, we have a definite conclusion that "Some rivers are not seas." If it is certain that some rivers are not seas, then it is impossible for all rivers to be seas. An impossible event cannot be a possibility. Therefore, Conclusion II does not follow.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Based on the logical deduction from the statements, only conclusion I follows.