Question

What is the formal fallacy committed in the following syllogistic argument?
No Students are tested Covid-positive.
Some Covid-positive cases are not Professors.
Therefore, Some Professors are not Students.

• A. Fallacy of Exclusive Premises
• B. Fallacy of Illicit Major
• C. Fallacy of Illicit Minor
• D. Fallacy of Excluded Middle

Hint:

If both premises are negative (E or O), the syllogism commits the {Fallacy of Exclusive Premises} because no valid conclusion can be drawn.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Translate each statement into A/E/I/O form.
1) No Students are tested Covid-positive.
Form: No S are P \(\Rightarrow\) E proposition.
2) Some Covid-positive cases are not Professors.
Form: Some P are not M \(\Rightarrow\) O proposition (particular negative).
3) Therefore, Some Professors are not Students.
Form: Some M are not S \(\Rightarrow\) O proposition.
Step 2: Identify the issue with the premises.
A valid categorical syllogism cannot have two negative premises.
Here, the first premise is negative (E-type), and the second premise is also negative (O-type).
When both premises are negative, they do not establish a link between the middle term and the other term that can support the conclusion.
Step 3: Name the fallacy.
The error of having two negative premises is called the Fallacy of Exclusive Premises.
Final Answer: (A) Fallacy of Exclusive Premises