PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY
Unit 11 Discussion Assignment
‘Be honest, truthful, and altruistic.’ - A logical analysis of a profound recommendation.
On November 5, 2018 His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama tweeted the following:
Conjunction &
Disjunction ∨
Negation ~
Conditional ⊃
Biconditional ≡
Read this tweet and note the statement connectives that it uses. For this discussion
assignment, we’ll be applying the rules of sentential logic (SL) to analyze it. In your
discussion post, address all four steps of this assignment, then read your peers' threads and
comment on two other students' posts. Compare their answers to yours, and make suggestions
(or co
ections) as needed.
For your reference, use the following table:
PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY
Step 1.
A ⊃ ∼L
∼L ⊃ U
U ⊃ S
______
A ⊃ S
Feel free to cut and paste this box with your answers into the discussion post.
This represents the following sections of the Tweet:
A ⊃ ∼L
∼L ⊃ U
U ⊃ S
______
A ⊃ S
Step 2.
Feel free to cut and paste this box with your answers into the discussion post.
A L U S A ⊃ ∼ L ∼ L ⊃ U U ⊃ S A ⊃ S
1 T T T T F T T T
2 T T T F
3 T T F T
4 T T F F
The following symbolic representation is my attempt to capture the Dalai Lama's argument,
above, using the principles of charity and faithfulness. There might be other ways to reconstruct
it, but for the purpose of this assignment, we’ll go with this. I am using A, L, U and S to stand
for important segments of the Dalai Lama's quote. Using the table below, how would you
translate the symbolized statements?
Complete all the missing values from the following truth table. Be sure to write a
ief explanation (1-2
sentences) on how you went about completing the truth table, including the connective rules you used.
PHIL110 Critical Thinking – SPS CUNY
5 T F T T
6 T F T F
7 T F F T
8 T F F F
9 F T T T
10 F T T F
11 F T F T
12 F T F F
13 F F T T
14 F F T F
15 F F F T
16 F F F F
Step 3.
Personal reaction: What do you think about the Dalai Lama’s tweet? Is his statement
elevant in an era that is now described as "post-truth"? Give your reasons, and provide an
example from your own experience.
Recommendations for Success and Grading Criteria:
• Respond to the assignment with clear and detailed answers.
• Follow all assignment prompts and answer all prompt questions.
• Incorporate relevant examples and evidence to support your claims.
• Compose your response in clear and grammatically co
ect English and post it on time.
• Respond to at least two students with substantive comments and follow-up questions.
• Acknowledge all students who comment on your post.
Take a look at your completed truth table. If you have done it co
ectly, there is a line that
closely co
esponds to the Dalai Lama’s statement. Which line (from 1 through 16) is it? Be sure
to justify your selection in a couple of
ief sentences. (Hint, look for a line in which A, U and S
are True, L is False, and all of the co
esponding conditionals are True).
Step 4.