Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!



Lewis Carroll
Main Menu

Symbolic Logic

Sets of Concrete Propositions, proposed as Premisses for Sorites.
Conclusions to be found

1.
  1. Babies are illogical;
  2. Nobody is despised who can manage a crocodile;
  3. Illogical persons are despised.
  4. Answer

2.
  1. My saucepans are the only things that I have that are made of tin;
  2. I find all your presents very useful;
  3. None of my saucepans are of the slightest use.
  4. Answer

3.

  1. No potatoes of mine, that are new, have been boiled;
  2. All of my potatoes in this dish are fit to eat;
  3. No unboiled potatoes of mine are fit to eat.
  4. Answer

4.

  1. There are no Jews in the kitchen;
  2. No Gentiles say "shpoonj";
  3. My servants are all in the kitchen.
  4. Answer

5.

  1. No ducks waltz;
  2. No officers ever decline to waltz;
  3. All my poultry are ducks.
  4. Answer

6.

  1. Every one who is sane can do Logic;
  2. No lunatics are fit to serve on a jury;
  3. None of your sons can do Logic.
  4. Answer

7.

  1. There are no pencils of mine in this box;
  2. No sugar-plums of mine are cigars;
  3. The whole of my property, that is not in the box, consists of cigars.
  4. Answer

8.

  1. No experienced person is incompetent;
  2. Jenkins is always blundering;
  3. No competent person is always blundering.
  4. Answer

9.

  1. No terriers wander among the signs of the zodiac;
  2. Nothing, that does not wander among the signs of the zodiac, is a comet;
  3. Noting but a terrier has a curly tail.
  4. Answer

10.

  1. No one takes in the Times, unless he is well-educated;
  2. No hedge-hogs can read;
  3. Those who cannot read are not well-educated.
  4. Answer

11.

  1. All puddings are nice;
  2. This dish is a pudding;
  3. No nice things are wholesome.
  4. Answer

12.

  1. My gardener is well worth listening to on military subjects;
  2. No one can remember the battle of Waterloo, unless he is very old;
  3. Nobody is really worth listening to on military subjects, unless he can remember the battle of Waterloo.
  4. Answer

13.

  1. All humming birds are richly coloured;
  2. No large birds live on honey;
  3. Birds that do not live on honey are dull in colour.
  4. Answer

14.

  1. No Gentiles have booked noses;
  2. A man who is a good hand at a bargain always makes money;
  3. No Jew is ever a bad hand at a bargain.
  4. Answer

15.

  1. All ducks in this village that are branded "B", belong to Mrs. Bond;
  2. Ducks in this village never wear lace collars, unless they are branded "B"
  3. Mrs. Bond has no gray ducks in this village.
  4. Answer

16.

  1. All the old articles in this cupboard are cracked;
  2. No jug in this cupboard is new;
  3. Nothing in this cupboard, that is cracked, will hold water.
  4. Answer

17.

  1. All unripe fruit is unwholesome;
  2. All these apples are wholesome;
  3. No fruit, grown in the shade, is ripe.
  4. Answer

18.

  1. Puppies, that will not lie still, are always grateful for the loan of a skipping-rope;
  2. A lame puppy would not say "thank you" if you offered to lend it a skipping-rope;
  3. None but lame puppies ever care to do worsted-work.
  4. Answer

19.

  1. No name in this list is unsuitable for the hero of a romance;
  2. Names beginning with a vowel are always melodious;
  3. No name is suitable for a hero of a romance, if it begins with a consonant.
  4. Answer

20.

  1. All members of the House of Commons have perfect self-command;
  2. No M.P., who wears a coronet, should ride in a donkey-race;
  3. All members of the House of Lords wear coronets.
  4. Answer

21.

  1. No goods in this shop, that have been bought and paid for, are still on sale;
  2. None of the goods may be carried away, unless labeled "sold";
  3. None of the goods are labeled "sold" unless they have been bought and paid for.
  4. Answer

22.

  1. No Acrobatic feats, that are not announced in the bills of a circus, are ever attempted there;
  2. No acrobatic feat is possible, if it involves turning a quadruple somersault;
  3. No impossible acrobatic feat is ever announced in a circus bill.
  4. Answer

23.

  1. Nobody, who really appreciates Beethoven, fails to keep silence while the Moonlight-Sonata is being played;
  2. Guinea-pigs are hopelessly ignorant of music;
  3. No one, who is hopelessly ignorant of music, ever keeps silence while the Moonlight-Sonata is being played.
  4. Answer

24.

  1. Coloured flowers are always scented;
  2. I dislike flowers that are not grown in the open air;
  3. No flowers grown in the open air are colourless.
  4. Answer

25.

  1. Showy talkers think too much of themselves;
  2. No really well-informed people are bad company;
  3. People who think too much of themselves are not good company.
  4. Answer

26.

  1. No boys under 12 are admitted to this school as boarders;
  2. All the industrious boys have red hair;
  3. None of the day-boys learn Greek;
  4. None but those under 12 are idle.
  5. Answer

27.

  1. The only articles of food, that my doctor allows me, are such as are not very rich;
  2. Nothing that agrees with me is unsuitable for supper;
  3. Wedding-cake is always very rich;
  4. My doctor allows me all articles of food that are suitable for supper.
  5. Answer

28.

  1. No discussions in our Debating-Club are likely to rouse the British Lion, so long as they are checked when they become too noisy;
  2. Discussions, unwisely conducted, endanger the peacefulness of our Debating-Club;
  3. Discussions, that go on while Tomkins is in the Chair, are likely to rouse the British Lion;
  4. Discussions in our Debating-Club, when wisely conducted, are always checked when they become too noisy.
  5. Answer

29.

  1. All my sons are slim;
  2. No child of mine is healthy who takes no exercise;
  3. All gluttons, who are children of mine, are fat;
  4. No daughter of mine takes any exercise.
  5. Answer

30.

  1. Things sold in the street are of no great value;
  2. Nothing but rubbish can be sold for a song;
  3. Eggs of the Great Auk are very valuable;
  4. It is only what is sold in the streets which is really rubbish.
  5. Answer

31.

  1. No books sold here have gilt edges, except what are in the front shop;
  2. All the authorized editions have red labels;
  3. All the books with red labels are priced at 5s. and upwards;
  4. None but authorized editions are ever placed in the front shop.
  5. Answer

32.

  1. Remedies for bleeding, which fail to check it, are a mockery;
  2. Tincture of Calendula is not to be despised;
  3. Remedies, which will check the bleeding when you cut your finger, are useful;
  4. All mock remedies for bleeding are despicable.
  5. Answer

33.

  1. None of the unnoticed things, met with at sea, are mermaids;
  2. Things entered in the log, as met with at sea, are sure to be worth remembering;
  3. I have never met with anything worth remembering, when on a voyage;
  4. Things met with at sea, that are noticed, are sure to be recorded in the log.
  5. Answer

34.

  1. The only books in this library, that I do not recommend for reading, are unhealthy in tone;
  2. The bound books are all well-written;
  3. All the romances are healthy in tone;
  4. I do not recommend that you read any of the unbound books.
  5. Answer

35.

  1. No birds, except ostriches, are 9 feet high;
  2. There are no birds in this aviary that belong to anyone but me;
  3. No ostrich lives on mince-pies;
  4. I have no birds less than nine-feet high.
  5. Answer

36.

  1. A plum-pudding, that is not really solid, is mere porridge;
  2. Every plum-pudding, served at my table, has been boiled in a cloth;
  3. A plum-pudding that is mere porridge is indistinguishable from soup;
  4. No plum-puddings are really sold, except what are served at my able.
  5. Answer

37.

  1. No interesting poems are unpopular among people of real taste;
  2. No modern poetry is free from affectation;
  3. All your poems are on the subject of soap-bubbles;
  4. No affected poetry is popular among people of real taste;
  5. No ancient poem is on the subject of soap-bubbles.
  6. Answer

38.

  1. All the fruit at this Show, that fails to get a prize, is the property of the Committee;
  2. None of my peaches have got prizes;
  3. None of the fruit, sold off in the evening; is unripe;
  4. None of the ripe fruit has been grown in a hot-house;
  5. All fruit, that belongs to the Committee, is sold off in the evening.
  6. Answer

39.

  1. Promise-breakers are untrustworthy;
  2. Wine-drinkers are very communicative;
  3. A man who keeps his promises is honest;
  4. No teetotalers are pawnbrokers;
  5. One can always trust a very communicative person.
  6. Answer

40.

  1. No kitten, that loves fish, is unteachable.
  2. No kitten without a tail will play with a gorilla;
  3. Kittens with whiskers always love fish;
  4. No teachable kitten has green eyes;
  5. No kittens have tails unless they have whiskers.
  6. Answer

41.

  1. All the Eton men in this College play cricket;
  2. None but the Scholars dine at the higher table;
  3. None of the cricketers row;
  4. My friends in this College all come from Eton;
  5. All the scholars are rowing-men.
  6. Answer

42.

  1. There is no box of mine here that I dare open;
  2. My writing-desk is made of rose-wood;
  3. ALl my boxes are painted, except what are here;
  4. There is no box of mine that I dare not open, unless it is full of live scorpions;
  5. All my rose-wood boxes are unpainted.
  6. Answer

43.

  1. Gentiles have no objection to pork;
  2. Nobody who admires pigsties ever reads Hogg's poems;
  3. No Mandarin knows Hebrew;
  4. Every one, who does not object to pork, admires pigsties;
  5. No Jew is ignorant of Hebrew.
  6. Answer

44.

  1. All writers, who understand human nature, are clever;
  2. No one is a true poet unless he can stir the hearts of men;
  3. Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet";
  4. No writer, who does not understand human nature, can stir the hearts of men;
  5. None but a true poet could have written "Hamlet".
  6. Answer

45.

  1. I despise anything that cannot be used as a bridge;
  2. Everything, that is worth writing an ode to, would be a welcome gift to me;
  3. A rainbow will not bear the weight of a wheelbarrow;
  4. Whatever can be used as a bridge will bear the weight of a wheel barrow;
  5. Whatever can be used as a bridge will bear the weight of a wheelbarrow;
  6. I would not take, as a gift, things I despise.
  7. Answer

46.

  1. When I work a Logic-example without grumbling, you may be sure it is one that I can understand;
  2. These Jorites are not arranged in regular order, like the examples I am used to;
  3. No easy example ever makes my head ache;
  4. I ca'n't understand examples that are not arranged in regular order, like those I am used to;
  5. I never grumble at an example, unless it gives me a headache.
  6. Answer

47.

  1. Every idea of mine, that cannot be expressed as a Syllogism, is really ridiculous;
  2. None of my ideas about Bath-buns are worth writing down;
  3. No idea of mine, that fails to come true, can be expressed as a Syllogism;
  4. I never have any really ridiculous idea, that I do not at once refer to my solicitor;
  5. My dreams are all about Bath-buns;
  6. I never refer any idea of mine to my solicitor, unless it is worth writing down.
  7. Answer

48.

  1. None of the pictures here, except the battle-pieces, are valuable;
  2. None of the unframed ones are varnished;
  3. All the battle-pieces are painted in oils;
  4. All those that have been sold are valuable;
  5. All the English ones are varnished;
  6. All those in frames have been sold.
  7. Answer

49.

  1. Animals, that do not kick, are always unexcitable;
  2. Donkeys have no horns;
  3. A buffalo can always toss one over a gate;
  4. No animals that kick are easy to swallow;
  5. No hornless animal can toss one over a gate;
  6. All animals are excitable, except buffaloes.
  7. Answer

50.

  1. No one, who is going to a party, every fails to brush his hair;
  2. No one looks fascinating, if he is untidy;
  3. Opium-eaters have no self-command;
  4. Every one, who has brushed hair, looks fascinating;
  5. No one wears white kid gloves, unless he is going to a party;
  6. A man is always untidy, if he has no self-command.
  7. Answer

51.

  1. No husband, who is always giving his wife new dresses, can be a cross-grained man;
  2. A methodical husband always comes home for his tea; No one, who hangs up his hat on the gas-jet, can be a man that is kept in proper order by his wife;
  3. A good husband is always giving his wife new dresses;
  4. No husband can fail to be cross-grained, if his wife does not keep him in proper order;
  5. An unmethodical husband always hangs up his hat on the gas-jet.
  6. Answer

52.

  1. Everything, not absolutely ugly, may be kept in a drawing-room;
  2. Nothing, that is encrusted with salt, is ever quite dry;
  3. Nothing should be kept in a drawing-room, unless it is free from damp;
  4. Bathing-machines are always kept near the sea;
  5. Nothing, that is made with mother-of-pearl, can be absolutely ugly;
  6. Whatever is kept near the sea gets encrusted with salt.
  7. Answer

53.

  1. I call no day "unlucky", when Robinson is civil to me;
  2. Wednesdays are always cloudy;
  3. When people take umbrellas, the day never turns out fine;
  4. The only days when Robinson is uncivil to me are Wednesdays;
  5. Everybody takes his umbrella with him when it is raining;
  6. My "lucky" days always turn out fine.
  7. Answer

54.

  1. No shark ever doubts that it is well fitted out;
  2. A fish, that cannot dance a minuet, is contemptible;
  3. No fish is quite certain that it is well fitted out, unless it has three rows of teeth;
  4. All fishes, except sharks, are kind to children;
  5. No heavy fish can dance a minuet;
  6. A fish with three rows of teeth is not to be despised.
  7. Answer

55.

  1. All the human race, except my footmen, have a certain amount of common sense;
  2. No one, who lives on barley-sugar, can be anything but a mere baby;
  3. None but a hop-scotch player knows what real happiness is;
  4. No mere baby has a grain of common sense;
  5. No engine-driver ever plays hop-scotch;
  6. No footman of mine is ignorant of what true happiness is.
  7. Answer

56.

  1. I trust every animal that belongs to me;
  2. Dogs gnaw bones;
  3. I admit no animals into my study, unless they will beg when told to do so;
  4. All the animals in the yard are mine;
  5. I admit every animal, that I trust, into my study;
  6. The only animals, that are really willing to beg when told to do so, are dogs.
  7. Answer

57.

  1. Animals are always mortally offended if I fail to notice them;
  2. The only animals that belong to meare in the field;
  3. No animal can guess a conundrum, unless it has been properly trained in a Board-School;
  4. None of the animals in the field are badgers;
  5. When an animal is mortally offended, it always rushes about wildly and howls;
  6. I never notice any animal, unless it belongs to me;
  7. No animal, that has been properly trained in a Board-School, ever rushes about wildly and howls.
  8. Answer

58.

  1. I never put a cheque, received by me, on that file unless I am anxious about it;
  2. All the cheques received by me, that are not marked with cross, are payable to the bearer;
  3. None of them are ever brought back to me, unless they have been dishonoured at the Bank;
  4. All of them, that are marked with a cross, are for amounts of over £100;
  5. All of them, that are not on that file, are marked "not negotiable";
  6. No check of yours, received by me, has ever been dishonoured;
  7. I am never anxious about a cheque, received by me, unless it should happen to be brought back to me;
  8. None of the cheques received by me, that are marked "not negotiable", are for amounts over £100.
  9. Answer

59.

  1. All the dated letters in this room are written on blue paper;
  2. None of them are in black ink, except those that are written in the third person;
  3. I have not filed any of them that I can read;
  4. None of them, that are written on one sheet, are undated;
  5. All of them, that are not crossed, are in black ink;
  6. All of them, written by Brown, begin with "Dear Sir";
  7. All of them, written on blue paper, are filed;
  8. None of them, written on more than one sheet, are crossed;
  9. None of them, that begin with "Dear Sir" are written in the third person.
  10. Answer

60.

  1. The only animals in this house are cats;
  2. Every animal is suitable for a pet, that loves to gaze at the moon;
  3. When I detest an animal, I avoid it;
  4. No animals are carnivorous, unless they prowl at night;
  5. No cat fails to kill mice;
  6. No animals ever take to me, except what are in this house;
  7. Kangaroos are not suitable for pets;
  8. None but carnivora kill mice;
  9. I detest animals that do not take to me;
  10. Animals, that prowl at night, always love to gaze at the moon.
  11. Answer

Answers

  1. Babies cannot manage crocodiles
  2. Your presents to me are not made of tin.
  3. All my potatoes in this dish are old ones.
  4. My servants never say "shpoonj".
  5. My poultry are not officers.
  6. None of your sons are fit to serve on a jury.
  7. No pencils of mine are sugar-plums.
  8. Jenkins is inexperienced.
  9. No comet has a curly tail.
  10. No hedge-hog takes in the Times.
  11. This dish is unwholesome.
  12. My gardener is very old.
  13. All humming-birds are small
  14. No one with a hooked nose ever fails to make money.
  15. No gray ducks in this village wear lace collars.
  16. No jug in the cupboard will hold water.
  17. These apples were grown in the sun.
  18. Puppies, that will not lie still, never care to do worsted-work.
  19. No name in this list is unmelodious.
  20. No M. P. should ride in donkey-race, unless he has perfect self-command.
  21. No goods in this shop, that re still on sale, may be carried away.
  22. No acrobatic feat, which involves turning a quadruple somersault, is ever attempted in a circus.
  23. Guinea-pigs never really appreciate Beethoven.
  24. No scentless flowers please me.
  25. Showy talkers are not really well-informed.
  26. None but red-haired boys learn Greek in this school.
  27. Wedding-cake always disagrees with me.
  28. Discussions, that go on while Tomkins is in the chair, endanger the peacefulness of our Debating-Club.
  29. All gluttons, who are children of mine, are unhealthy.
  30. An egg of the Great Auk is not to be had for a song.
  31. No books sold here have gilt edges, unless they are priced at 5s. and upwards.
  32. When you cut your finger, you will find Tincture of Calendula useful.
  33. I have never come across a mermaid at sea.
  34. All the romances in this library are well-written.
  35. No bird in this aviary lives on mince-pies.
  36. No plum-pudding, that has not been boiled in a cloth, can be distinguished from soup.
  37. All your poems are uninteresting.
  38. None of my peaches have been grown in a hot-house.
  39. No pawnbroker is dishonest.
  40. No kitten with green eyes will play with a gorilla.
  41. All my friends dine at the lower table.
  42. My writing-desk is full of live scorpions.
  43. No Mandarin ever reads Hogg's poems.
  44. Shakespeare was clever.
  45. Rainbows are not worth writing odes to.
  46. These Sorites-examples are difficult.
  47. All my dreams come true.
  48. All the English pictures here are painted in oils.
  49. Donkeys are not easy to swallow.
  50. Opium-eaters never wear white kid gloves.
  51. A good husband always comes home for his tea.
  52. Bathing-machines are never made of mother-of-pearl.
  53. Rainy days are always cloudy.
  54. No heavy fish is unkind to children.
  55. No engine-driver lives on barley-sugar.
  56. All the animals in the yard gnaw bones.
  57. No badger can guess a conundrum.
  58. No cheque of yours, received by me, is payable to order.
  59. I cannot read any of Brown's letters.
  60. I always avoid a kangaroo.