Suppose that the first premise of a syllogism is a disjunctive proposition, and the second premise affirms one of the disjuncts.Is the syllogism valid?

A) No, because the second premise must negate a disjunct rather than affirm it.
B) No, because the disjunctive premise ought to be second rather than first.
C) Yes, if the conclusion affirms the remaining disjunct(s) .
D) Yes, if the conclusion negates the remaining disjunct(s) .
E) Yes, if the conclusion either affirms or negates the remaining disjunct(s) .

Question

Dayton Brown · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : A, Explanation :  DA disjunctive syllogism is valid if it has a disjunctive premise (one that presents two or more options), and the second premise negates one of the options, leading to a conclusion that affirms the remaining option(s). Therefore, for a syllogism to be valid when the first premise is disjunctive and the second affirms one of the disjuncts, the conclusion must negate the remaining disjunct(s), as per option D. Option A is correct because it points out that for the syllogism to be valid in the context described, the second premise should negate rather than affirm a disjunct.

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