PHIL 105 QUIZ 4 EXAM 120 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
there is no precise boundary between the cases in which it applies and the cases
in which it does not apply.
Feedback: The correct answer is B. An expression is vague exactly when it lacks a
precise meaning. A vague expression, in other words, is one without a sharp
boundary between cases in which it applies and cases in which it does not apply.
Some standard examples of vague terms are "bald," "tall," and "heap." - CORRECT
ANSWER An expression is vague if
hill
The correct answer is E.
Because there is no sharp boundary between things that are hills and things that
are not hills, the term "hill" is vague. To see why the term "hill" is vague, just
imagine a series of lumps on the ground, the first of which is very small, and each
subsequent member of which is slightly larger than the last. At the beginning of
the series, the lumps are definitely not hills. At some later point in the series,
however, there are lumps, which definitely are hills. Yet there is no sharp, precise
boundary between the hills and the non-hills. Between the items that are
definitely hills and the items that are definitely not, there are many borderline
cases. For this reason, the term "hill" is vague.
The terms "33," "=," "acceleration," and "mass" are not vague. Either a given
number is 33, or else it is not. A number can not be a borderline case of 33; there
are not numbers, which are 33 to v - CORRECT ANSWER Which of the following
expressions is vague?
,it has two or more distinct meanings.
Feedback: The correct answer is A. An ambiguous expression is one, which has
more than one distinct meaning. If the expression has multiple meanings because
a single word has multiple meanings, then the ambiguity is semantic. If the
expression, however, has multiple meanings because a larger phrase or clause has
multiple meanings, then the ambiguity is syntactic. - CORRECT ANSWER An
expression is ambiguous if
bank
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
The term "bank" is semantically ambiguous. On one hand, the term can refer to
the edge of a river, stream, or body of water. On the other hand, the term can also
refer to a financial institution, which stores wealth. - CORRECT ANSWER Which of
the following expressions is semantically ambiguous?
Close doors and open windows.
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
The phrase "close doors and open windows" could mean two different things. On
one hand, it could be a command for people to close doors, and for people to
open windows. On the other hand, it could be a command for people to close two
sorts of things, namely doors and open windows. Because this ambiguity is not
,the result of a single term, such as "door," having multiple meanings, the
ambiguity is syntactic rather than semantic.
It is true that the sentence "I need to deposit some money at the bank" is
ambiguous, but its ambiguity is solely due to the semantic ambiguity of the word
"bank." Since its ambiguity depends on the ambiguity of a single term, the
sentence "I need to deposit some money at the bank" is not syntactically
ambiguous. It is only semantically ambiguous. - CORRECT ANSWER Which of the
following sentences is syntactically ambiguous?
the person making a point and the conclusion tells against their making that point.
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
An ad hominem argument is one, whose premises are about the person or
persons who make a certain point, and whose conclusion tells against that point.
We saw that there were three kinds of ad hominem arguments: deniers, which
state that the given conclusion is false; silencers, which state that someone has no
right, or no permission, to make the given conclusion; and dismissers, which state
that someone does not have the evidence or justification to make the given
conclusion. - CORRECT ANSWER An ad hominem argument is one in which the
premises are about
Lying Larry told me that it will rain today, therefore, it probably will not rain today.
, Feedback: The correct answer is B.
Because it begins with a premise about a person, and draws a conclusion that
rejects that person's testimony, the argument in (b) is an ad hominem argument.
None of the arguments in (a), (c), and (d) are ad hominems, since none of them
reject the conclusion of the person they mention. Finally, (e) is not an ad
hominem because it does not conclude that Sam's testimony is false from Sam's
screaming. (e) does not include the word "therefore," in other words. - CORRECT
ANSWER Which of the following arguments is an ad hominem?
the person making a point and the conclusion tells in favor of their making that
point.
The correct answer is B.
An appeal to authority is an argument, which supports an argument's conclusion
on the basis of something about the person making the argument. We have seen
three different kinds of arguments from authority: affirmers, which state that the
given conclusion is true; amplifiers, which state that someone has a special right,
or special permission, to make the given conclusion; and supporters, which state
that someone does has particularly good evidence or justification to make the
given conclusion. - CORRECT ANSWER An appeal to authority occurs when the
premises are about
Honest Abe told me that it will rain today, therefore, it will probably rain today.
VERIFIED ANSWERS
there is no precise boundary between the cases in which it applies and the cases
in which it does not apply.
Feedback: The correct answer is B. An expression is vague exactly when it lacks a
precise meaning. A vague expression, in other words, is one without a sharp
boundary between cases in which it applies and cases in which it does not apply.
Some standard examples of vague terms are "bald," "tall," and "heap." - CORRECT
ANSWER An expression is vague if
hill
The correct answer is E.
Because there is no sharp boundary between things that are hills and things that
are not hills, the term "hill" is vague. To see why the term "hill" is vague, just
imagine a series of lumps on the ground, the first of which is very small, and each
subsequent member of which is slightly larger than the last. At the beginning of
the series, the lumps are definitely not hills. At some later point in the series,
however, there are lumps, which definitely are hills. Yet there is no sharp, precise
boundary between the hills and the non-hills. Between the items that are
definitely hills and the items that are definitely not, there are many borderline
cases. For this reason, the term "hill" is vague.
The terms "33," "=," "acceleration," and "mass" are not vague. Either a given
number is 33, or else it is not. A number can not be a borderline case of 33; there
are not numbers, which are 33 to v - CORRECT ANSWER Which of the following
expressions is vague?
,it has two or more distinct meanings.
Feedback: The correct answer is A. An ambiguous expression is one, which has
more than one distinct meaning. If the expression has multiple meanings because
a single word has multiple meanings, then the ambiguity is semantic. If the
expression, however, has multiple meanings because a larger phrase or clause has
multiple meanings, then the ambiguity is syntactic. - CORRECT ANSWER An
expression is ambiguous if
bank
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
The term "bank" is semantically ambiguous. On one hand, the term can refer to
the edge of a river, stream, or body of water. On the other hand, the term can also
refer to a financial institution, which stores wealth. - CORRECT ANSWER Which of
the following expressions is semantically ambiguous?
Close doors and open windows.
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
The phrase "close doors and open windows" could mean two different things. On
one hand, it could be a command for people to close doors, and for people to
open windows. On the other hand, it could be a command for people to close two
sorts of things, namely doors and open windows. Because this ambiguity is not
,the result of a single term, such as "door," having multiple meanings, the
ambiguity is syntactic rather than semantic.
It is true that the sentence "I need to deposit some money at the bank" is
ambiguous, but its ambiguity is solely due to the semantic ambiguity of the word
"bank." Since its ambiguity depends on the ambiguity of a single term, the
sentence "I need to deposit some money at the bank" is not syntactically
ambiguous. It is only semantically ambiguous. - CORRECT ANSWER Which of the
following sentences is syntactically ambiguous?
the person making a point and the conclusion tells against their making that point.
Feedback:
The correct answer is A.
An ad hominem argument is one, whose premises are about the person or
persons who make a certain point, and whose conclusion tells against that point.
We saw that there were three kinds of ad hominem arguments: deniers, which
state that the given conclusion is false; silencers, which state that someone has no
right, or no permission, to make the given conclusion; and dismissers, which state
that someone does not have the evidence or justification to make the given
conclusion. - CORRECT ANSWER An ad hominem argument is one in which the
premises are about
Lying Larry told me that it will rain today, therefore, it probably will not rain today.
, Feedback: The correct answer is B.
Because it begins with a premise about a person, and draws a conclusion that
rejects that person's testimony, the argument in (b) is an ad hominem argument.
None of the arguments in (a), (c), and (d) are ad hominems, since none of them
reject the conclusion of the person they mention. Finally, (e) is not an ad
hominem because it does not conclude that Sam's testimony is false from Sam's
screaming. (e) does not include the word "therefore," in other words. - CORRECT
ANSWER Which of the following arguments is an ad hominem?
the person making a point and the conclusion tells in favor of their making that
point.
The correct answer is B.
An appeal to authority is an argument, which supports an argument's conclusion
on the basis of something about the person making the argument. We have seen
three different kinds of arguments from authority: affirmers, which state that the
given conclusion is true; amplifiers, which state that someone has a special right,
or special permission, to make the given conclusion; and supporters, which state
that someone does has particularly good evidence or justification to make the
given conclusion. - CORRECT ANSWER An appeal to authority occurs when the
premises are about
Honest Abe told me that it will rain today, therefore, it will probably rain today.
