SOC SCI 3A Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Illicit Minor, Modus Tollens, Falsifiability
SOCSCI 3A
EXAM ONE
Lecture Two
●You encounter a barrel full of apples, you take a bite out of one of them and it’s
rotten → conclude all are rotten → Induction (building of the model)
○Ex. When I drop this piece of chalk, it’ll fall → induction
■Explaining how this happens with the theory of gravity → also
induction
■This doesn’t mean the model is true
○Inductive Reasoning: move from specific observations to broader
generalizations and theories; begin with specific observations and measures
→ begin to detect patterns and regularities → formulate tentative
hypotheses and explore → developing some general conclusions/theories
●Deduction: almost the opposite from induction
○You encounter a barrel of apples → all are rotten → take one out of the
barrel and it’s rotten → If all are rotten, this particular apple will be rotten
○Deductive Reasoning: "top-down approach"; think of theory → narrow it
down into specific hypotheses → collect observations to address the
hypotheses → testing hypotheses with specific data, leading to confirmation
of our original theories or not
●P: Amy goes to UCI, Q: Amy lives in CA
○Modus Ponens: If Amy goes to UCI, then Amy lives in CA
○Affirming the Consequent: (error) If Amy goes to UCI, then Amy lives in CA; If
she lives in CA, she may or may not go to UCI (we can’t confirm that she does
just because she lives in CA)
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○Modus Tollens: If Amy does not live in CA, we can conclude she does not go
to UCI
○Denying the Antecedent: (error) Amy doesn’t go to UCI, therefore, she
doesn’t live in CA
Syllogism
●Consists of:
1. Major premise
2. Minor premise
3. Conclusion
●Minor term: is in the minor premise and conclusion
●Major term: is in the major premise and conclusion
●Middle term: is in both the minor premise and major premise
Lecture Three
●With syllogisms, conclusions have to follow
Types of fallacies:
1. Undistributed middle term: middle term isn’t distributed in the major/minor premises
2. Illicit major term: major term is distributed in the conclusion, but not in the major
premise. If something is distributed in the conclusion, it has to be distributed
elsewhere
3. Illicit minor term: minor term is distributed in the conclusion, but not in the minor
premise. If something is distributed in the conclusion, it has to be distributed
elsewhere
4. Exclusive Premises: both premises are negative; if this is the case, there is no
connection between the major and minor terms
*distributed: statement about everyone in the group
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Document Summary
You encounter a barrel full of apples, you take a bite out of one of them and it"s rotten conclude all are rotten induction building of the model) When i drop this piece of chalk, it"ll fall induction. Explaining how this happens with the theory of gravity also induction. This doesn"t mean the model is true. Inductive reasoning: move from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories; begin with specific observations and measures. Begin to detect patterns and regularities formulate tentative hypotheses and explore developing some general conclusions/ theories. You encounter a barrel of apples all are rotten take one out of the barrel and it"s rotten if all are rotten, this particular apple will be rotten. Deductive reasoning: "top-down approach"; think of theory narrow it down into specific hypotheses collect observations to address the hypotheses testing hypotheses with specific data, leading to confirmation of our original theories or not. P: amy goes to uci, q: amy lives in ca.