Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Both conclusions I and II follow
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question is intentionally absurd in real life terms, but logically it is standard. You have two statements that place elephants inside men and men inside socks, and you must derive valid conclusions. The odd category names are meant to force you to think purely in terms of set relations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Treat the following as logically true.
Concept / Approach:
“All elephants are men” makes the Elephant set a subset of the Men set. “All men are socks” makes the Men set a subset of the Socks set. When you chain two such inclusions, you can deduce a third inclusion: all elephants are socks. From that, if elephants exist, then there must be some socks that are elephants.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Draw three nested circles. Place Elephant inside Men and Men inside Socks. Any point in the Elephant circle is automatically in the Socks circle. This confirms conclusion II. Since the Elephant circle contains at least one point under standard exam assumptions, that point is in Socks, so “Some socks are elephants” is also true.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A claims only conclusion I follows and ignores the clear general inclusion of elephants in socks. Option B says only conclusion II follows, but as soon as elephants exist, specific elephants are socks, so some socks must be elephants. Option D says neither follows, which is inconsistent with the direct chain of inclusions.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates are distracted by the strange categories (men and socks) and reject the logic. Others accept the chain but overlook that from “All A are C” we can deduce both a universal conclusion (all A are C) and a particular one (some C are A) when the existence of A is implied.
Final Answer:
Both conclusions I and II logically follow from the statements. Hence, the correct option is “Both conclusions I and II follow.”
Discussion & Comments