Syllogism – Resolve the apparent contradiction Premises: 1) All students in my class are bright. 2) Manish is not bright. What follows?
Verbal Reasoning
Statement and Conclusion
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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ASome students are not bright.
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BManish must work hard.
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CAll who are not bright are not students.
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DManish is not a student of my class.
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ENone of the above.
Answer
Correct Answer: Manish is not a student of my class.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:This is a categorical syllogism that examines class membership based on a property (“bright”). If membership in a set guarantees a property, and an individual lacks that property, then the individual cannot belong to the set. We apply this directly to the class and Manish.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- P1: All students in my class are bright.
- P2: Manish is not bright.
- We use standard logic with no hidden premises.
Concept / Approach:“All A are B” and “x is not B” implies “x is not A.” Here, A = “students in my class,” B = “bright,” and x = Manish. This is a contrapositive reasoning pattern.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Translate: Class students -> bright.Given: Manish is not bright.Therefore: Manish cannot be a student in the class.Verification / Alternative check:
Assume Manish is a student in the class: then he must be bright (contradiction). Thus, he is not a student in the class.Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A: Does not follow; P1 says all class students are bright.B: Irrelevant; effort is not a logical consequence here.C: Overgeneralizes to “all non-bright are non-students,” which is not stated globally.E: Invalid because D follows.Common Pitfalls:
Assuming properties about all students everywhere rather than restricting to “my class.”Final Answer:Manish is not a student of my class.