Statements: Raman is always successful. No fool is always successful.…
2023
Statements: Raman is always successful. No fool is always successful.
Conclusions:
I. Raman is a fool.
II. Raman is not a fool.
- A.
Only conclusion I follows
- B.
Only conclusion II follows
- C.
Either I or II follows
- D.
Neither I nor II follows
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: In syllogism, a universal negative premise of the form 'No A is B' converts validly into 'No B is A' (E-type conversion). When a second premise states that a particular individual has property B, chaining it with the converted premise ('No B is A') yields a definite conclusion that the individual does not have property A.
Application: Applying this to the given statements —
The second statement, 'No fool is always successful', is of the form 'No fool (A) is always-successful (B)'.
By E-type conversion, this becomes 'No one who is always successful is a fool' — that is, 'No B is A'.
The first statement says Raman has property B: Raman is always successful.
Chaining Raman-is-B with No-B-is-A gives: Raman is not a fool.
Conclusion II ('Raman is not a fool') states exactly this derived relation, so it follows.
Conclusion I ('Raman is a fool') asserts the opposite of the derived relation, so it does not follow.
Cross-check: Suppose, for contradiction, that Raman were a fool. Then by the second statement, a fool cannot be always successful — but the first statement says Raman IS always successful, a direct contradiction. This confirms conclusion I is false and only conclusion II holds.