VI. To speak irrev. of Scr. in | indicates that a man is not jest or earnest | wise or not good ---------------------------+------------------------------ This man does it | we must infer that _he is not | w. or not g._ *** 'If virtue were a habit worth acquiring, it must ensure either power, or wealth, or honour, or pleasure; but virtue ensures none of these; therefore virtue is not a habit worth attaining.' Fallacy of contrast-- I. What ensures | is worth -------------------+--------- V. does not ensure | _N. C._ *** 'If men are not likely to be influenced in the performance of a known duty by taking an oath to perform it, the oaths commonly administered are superfluous; if they are likely to be so influenced, everyone should be made to take an oath to behave rightly throughout his life; but one or other must be the case; _therefore_ either the oaths commonly administered are superfluous, or everyone should be made to take an oath to behave rightly throughout his life.'--This will be more intelligible if contracted thus: If oaths fail to influence they are superfluous; if they influence they should be obligatory; but they either influence or do not; therefore they are either superfluous or should be obligatory. There is no argument; the alternative conclusions merely repeat the alternative precedents. *** 'If virtue is voluntary, vice is voluntary; but virtue is voluntary; therefore so is vice.' (Arist. _Eth._ Bk. III. quoted by Whately.) This is a circular way of saying that we believe it to be a fact that vice is voluntary. The argumentative form is probably supposed to give the assertion greater weight than it would have if expressed as a perceptual judgment. *** This is valid argument, according to Hamilton--'If man were suited to live out of society, he would either be a god or a beast; but man is neither a god nor a beast; therefore he is not suited to live out of society.'--It has faults of contrast and tautology. I. Only gods and beasts | are suited -------------------------+----------- Man is neither g. nor b. | _N. C._ *** 'If iron is impure, it is brittle; but this iron is impure; therefore it is brittle.'--A valid dogmatic argument. I. Impure iron | is brittle ------------------+----------------- This iron is imp. | _it must be br._ *** 'If the weather is fine, we shall go into the country; now the weather is fine, therefore we shall go into the country.'--We never get beyond the simple judgment that our going into the country is associated with fine weather. *** The following is valid:--'As often as the weather is fine, my brother has a habit of going into the country; if the weather be fine to-morrow I infer that he will go into the country.' Here a particular hypothetical case is illustrated by reference to a general habit.