Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Neither Conclusion I nor II follows
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This item checks two common traps: (1) reading existence from a universal statement, and (2) projecting an unrelated particular onto a set that is explicitly disjoint. Careful set reasoning avoids both errors.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Conclusion I, 'Some cots are benches', requires existence of at least one Bench. A universal premise 'All B are C' is satisfied even if B is empty; therefore we cannot infer 'Some'. Conclusion II attempts to connect Candles to Cots via Lamps, but we know C and L are disjoint, and nothing links Candles to C except through L.
Step-by-Step Solution:
C1: If B = ∅, Premise 1 remains true while 'Some C are B' is false. So I does not necessarily follow.C2: From C ∩ L = ∅ and 'Some L are Candles', any element in L∩Candles is automatically not in C. Without another premise bringing Candles into C outside of L, we cannot force Candles ∩ C ≠ ∅.
Verification / Alternative check:
Model: Let C be a non-empty set, B = ∅, L disjoint from C, and let some elements of L be Candles. All premises hold. Yet C1 fails (no C that is B exists) and C2 fails (Candles inside L cannot be C). Hence neither conclusion is necessary.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Assuming universals imply existence (they do not) and forgetting that an explicit 'No C is L' blocks any path from Lamps to Cots.
Final Answer:
Neither Conclusion I nor II follows.
Discussion & Comments