6-Statements


Statement- a particular kind of sentence that
brings a message which can be either true or
false.

Ex) George Washington was the first president
of the United States.

Ex) Silvio Berlusconi was the first president of
the United States.

Look for “truth value” True or false
 6-Statements

If there is no truth value then there is no
statement

Questions

Ex) Who wrote the book The Davinci Code?

Commands

Ex) Go get me an apple.

Nonsense

Ex) The round square sweetly kicked the green
yesterday.

Ex) This statement is false.
 7-Self Supporting Statements

Self-supporting statement – a statement whose truth
value can be determined from the statement itself
1. Self-reports- a statement by a person concerning his or
her own desires, beliefs, or feelings
− Ex) I believe Nutella is delicious.
2a. Tautology - Statements which are true by logical
structure- Covers all the possibilities.
− Ex) This apple is red or it is not red.
2b. Self- contradiction-Statements which are false by
logical structure
− Ex) This apple is red and is not red.
 7-Self Supporting Statements
3) Statements which are true or false by definition.
− Ex) All triangles are three-sided figures
− Ex) This triangle is an octagon
 8-Supported Statements

Supported statement a statement whose truth value
depends on evidence or information from outside itself
1) Authority (look at recorded history)
− Ex) George Washinton rode a white horse.

2) Experience (trust our senses)
− Ex) It is raining outside

3) Deduction (reason based on other statements)
− Ex) The leaning tower will fall down.
 8-Supported Statements
Statement

Self-Supporting Supported

Authority Experience Deduction

Self- report Logical Structure Defintion

Tautology Self-Contradiction
 9-Relationships between
Statements
1) Consistency- When two statements are true at the same
time

Ex) George Washington was the first President.

George Washington was never in Egypt.

Inconsistent- Conflict between two statements

Ex) George Washington was never in Egypt.

George Washington spent his life in Egypt.
2) Implication- When the truth of the first statement requires the
truth of the other

Ex) All animals are made of cells.

Some animals are made of cells.

In logic “some” does not mean “others don't”
 9-Relationships between
Statements
3) Logical equivalence- the first implies the second and the
second implies the first

Ex) No native born Italians are native born Chinese.

No native born Chines are native born Italians.

Ex) Some mammals are egg-layers

Some egg-layers are mammals


No S is P / Some S is P.
S is subject and P is predicate.
 9-Relationships between
Statements
4) Independence- If the truth or falsity of one statement has
nothing to do with the truth or falsity of another statement
− Neither statement can imply the other
− The statements must be consistent

Ex) All tricycles have three wheels

George Washington was the first president of the U.S.
9-Relationships between
Statements
Relationships between Statements

Consistency Inconsistency

Implication Independence

Equivalence
10-Consistency and Disagreement

Disagreement- The appearance of inconsistency
1) Real disagreement- actual inconsistency between two
statements (they cannot be both true at the same time)
ex) I am Mr. Schvaneveldt.

I am not Mr. Schvaneveldt
2) Apparent disagreement- (OPINION OR PERCEPTION)

ex) Billy: I think logic is easy

Willy: I think logic is the hardest course I have ever
taken.
 10-Consistency and Disagreement

3) Verbal disagreement- from different defintions of

the same word.
ex) Billy: One fifth of all high school graduates are illiterate

Willy: One third of all high school graduates are
illiterate


Famous ex) If a tree falls down in a forest, and nobody
hears it, does it make a sound?
 11-The One Basic Verb

Verb of being is key to understand

Ex) No cows eat meat

No cows are meat-eaters

Be careful the same!!
− God is love.
− Love is blind.
− Ray Charles is blind.
− Therefore Ray Charles is God?

Is does not always mean =
 11-The One Basic Verb

My little brother thows rocks.
1) Identify and write down the entire subject.

Ex) My little brother
2) Choose the proper “to be” verb.

Ex) My little brother is
3) Rewrite the entire predicate as a predicate nominative
Ex) My little brother is a rock-thrower

Mr. S rebuked Billy in class.

Mr. S is a Billy-in-class-rebuker.