Question

Which of the following is a tautology and why? The choices are: (1) Jim is not married

because he is bachelor; (2) Bob is in prison because he was convicted of murder; (3) Karen

works in fast-food restaurant because she needs the money; (4) Becky Sue has low self-esteem

because nobody likes her.

Which of the following is testable in principle and why? The choices are: (1) The U.S. should

prohibit capital punishment; (2) New York State has a lower murder rate than the state of North

Dakota: (3) Persons who are anti-Semitic hate Jews: (4) Individuals should not be allowed to

own assault rifles.

Answer 1

Which of the following is a tautology and why?

Answer: (1) Jim is not married because he is bachelor. This is because tautology, being a way to express something by repeating or saying it in a different way, is expressed in the sentence through Jim being described as 'not married' and a 'bachelor'.

Which of the following is testable in principle and why?

Answer: (2) New York State has a lower murder rate than the state of North Dakota. This is a testable principle as it has the logical property of falsifiability (showing that New York State can have a higher murder rate) and practical feasibility (allowing one to conduct empirical observations to confirm it).