Question

Premise 1: All birds have feathers.
Premise 2: All feathered creatures can fly.
Conclusion: All birds can fly.
Which phrase correctly evaluates the argument?
valid but fallacious
sound but fallacious
valid but unsound
invalid but sound

Answer 1

The argument is "valid but fallacious."

Here's why:

- The argument's structure is valid in that if the premises were true, the conclusion would logically follow (if all birds have feathers and all feathered creatures can fly, then it would logically follow that all birds can fly).

- However, the premises include an untrue statement: not all feathered creatures can fly (for example, ostriches and penguins are feathered but cannot fly). Thus, the argument is fallacious because at least one premise is false.

Therefore, the correct evaluation is "valid but fallacious."