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Philosophy 103:Introduction to Philosophy
Testing Standard Form Categorical

 Syllogisms Topic: There Free Will?

 "La Penseur" Library of Congress, P & P Online, LC-D416-591

Abstract: The following on-line set of Practice Problems with Categorical Syllogisms can be downloaded below as a .pdf, .doc, or .txt file to work offline before you check the online answers.

Part I.  Directions:  Evaluate the following syllogisms by means of Venn Diagrams and the syllogistic fallacies.  Be sure to tell whether the argument is valid or invalid.

  1. No physical actions are chance occurrences.

    All chance occurrences are random events.

    No random events are physical actions.

DIAGRAM

  1. All events are things describable by science.

    All mental decisions are events.

    All mental decisions are things describable by science.

DIAGRAM

  1. All things describable by science are predictable events.

    No free decisions are things describable by science.

    No free decisions are predictable events.

 

DIAGRAM

  1. No things describable by science are uncaused happenings.

    All mental decisions are things describable by science.

    No mental decisions are uncaused happenings.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

  1. No free choices are caused occurrences.

    Some natural processes are not caused occurrences.

    Some natural processes are not free choices.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

  1. All free decisions are uncaused happenings.

    No mental decisions are uncaused happenings.

    No mental decisions are free decisions.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

  1. Some decisions are careful reflections.

    All uses of free will are decisions.

    Some uses of free will are careful reflections.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

  1. All persons who are most free are persons who decide most.

    All persons who decide least are persons who are most free.

    All persons who decide least are persons who decide most.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

  1. Some coerced decisions are not free choices.

    Some desires are free choices.

    Some desires are coerced decisions.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

  1. No mental decisions are free decisions.

    All uncaused events are free decisions.

    No uncaused events are mental decisions.

    2.  

DIAGRAM

 

Part II.  Directions: Set up the following syllogisms in standard form and order, name the mood and figure, and test for validity by means of Venn Diagrams and the syllogistic fallacies.

 

1.  All acts of free will are uncaused events, since all mental decisions are uncaused events and all acts of free will are mental decisions.


DIAGRAM

 

2.  All acts of free will are uncaused events, so no acts of free will are existent things because no uncaused events are existent things.


DIAGRAM

 

Part III. Optional Credit.  
Directions:  Assume the following propositions are true. Show whether the statement "There is no free will" has been proved by the problems on this test. Set up all syllogisms in standard form and order.

1  All events can be described by science, and everything described by science is a caused happening.

2.  Free decisions are defined as uncaused happenings, even though to exist they must be caused events.

3.  All mental decisions are events and are acts of free will.

4.  No uncaused events exist.

Practice Problem Downloads

The Categorical Syllogism Practice Problems are available for download, viewing, and printing via Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or  text file.  Click on the link below for the viewer you prefer.  

 


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