The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

Sixth Paper on Logic

Source: printed 1887

Examples. Sets of Premisses

1. (1) Despised and silent gluttons are discontented, but are not quarrelsome;
(2) All ugly lady-birds are shy, silent, and sulky;
(3) Shy discontented creatures, that are hated, are always quarrelsome;
(4) A crocodile is an ugly lazy glutton;
(5) All creatures, that are lazy and sulky, are hated and despised.

2. (1) No wise old friends of mine are happy;
(2) No rich friends of mine are unhealthy youths;
(3) No dishonest friends of mine are old fools;
(4) No friends of mine are talkative young paupers;
(5) No honest old friends of mine are foolish;
(6) No young friends of mine are rich and healthy;
(7) No friends of mine are unhappy old sages;
(8) No poor young friends of mine are silent.

3. (1) All old monkeys are docile;
(2) All affectionate cats purr;
(3) All healthy dogs bark;
(4) All my fat pets are in this basket;
(5) No small pigs are affectionate;
(6) Black cats can be easily carried about;
(7) No cross active creatures jump, except monkeys;
(8) I make pets of all affectionate docile creatures;
(9) A healthy monkey, if electrified, becomes a pig;
(10) The large creatures in this basket are all cats;
(11) Old dogs are always cross;
(12) No fat creatures bark, except when electrified;
(13) All affectionate old creatures jump;
(14) All the creatures in this basket, that purr, are black;
(15) Large dogs cannot be easily carried about;
(16) Creatures, that are cross and destitute of affection, are always lazy;
(17) Unhealthy creatures are either large or thin.

4. (1) A quarrelsome man does not deserve blame if he is not in his right mind;
(2) Men, who are objects of terror, are always avoided;
(3) The popular candidates in this election are Liberals;
(4) Captains always tell long yarns;
(5) A man of slim figure, who is constantly quoted as a model citizen, is always conceited;
(6) Any man of genial manners may safely go through the town to-day, except Mr. Brown;
(7) No good man of business, who is cautious as to what he states, ever says he has seen the sea-serpent;
(8) A thoughtless man is a constant cause of mischief;
(9) A popular man, who is fat, is always out of breath;
(10) A man, who tells long yarns and has no geniality of manner, is an object of terror;
(11) Mr. Brown is a candidate in this election;
(12) A man, who is ready to make amends for any harm he has done, is always a humble man;
(13) No man, who tells long yarns without giving names or dates, is readily believed;
(14) No quarrelsome man would be safe in the streets to-day, unless he were a candidate in this election;
(15) A good business-man, who is not quarrelsome, is cautious as to everything he states;
(16) No man ever tells long yarns, when running to catch a train and out of breath;
(17) A man, who has caused mischief and is not ready to make amends for the harm he has done, cannot be in his right mind;
(18) No man, who gives names and dates, is avoided, unless he is in his second childhood;
(19) The Liberal candidates in this election are all running to catch the train;
(20) Any man, who gives names and dates, is a good man of business;
(21) No quarrelsome man is an object of terror if he is in his second childhood;
(22) A man deserves blame if he is not ready to make amends for any harm he has done;
(23) A man who tells long yarns is always popular;
(24) A man of genial manners, who is ready to make amends for any harm he has done, is constantly quoted as a model citizen.

5. (1) Fortunate men, who are lawyers’ clerks, are always hungry;
(2) All the basket-makers are out of work;
(3) A man without self-restraint is helped five times to plum-pudding;
(4) No one but Whittington ever heard bells speak;
(5) A bore, who has self-restraint, gets rich;
(6) No lean and slippered pantaloon is respected;
(7) A man, who is helped five times to plum-pudding, is a glutton;
(8) Those who complain always get listened to;
(9) A rich man, who has never heard bells speak, is always lean;
(10) None but lawyers’ clerks have self-restraint;
(11) A pantomime-actor, who wears slippers, is a pantaloon;
(12) The famous Whittington was elected Lord Mayor;
(13) A fat man, who talks without cessation when any one will listen to him, is a bore;
(14) All lean persons, who are self-restrained, act in pantomimes;
(15) Those who never complain get underpaid;
(16) Egoists are intolerable;
(17) Any one, who has heard bells speak, is fortunate;
(18) No hungry lawyer’s clerk was ever elected Lord Mayor;
(19) All letter-carriers, who do not live in this village, complain if underpaid;
(20) Any one, who is listened to, will talk without cessation;
(21) Pantaloons, employed in pantomimes, are respected if rich;
(22) All, who have not heard bells speak, are egoists;
(23) A bore is endurable, provided he does not wear slippers;
(24) All hungry men, who complain, become famous;
(25) The people in this village are all basket-makers.

6. (1) All Jews wear beards;
(2) No learned traveller cares for pitch-and-toss;
(3) All Frenchmen walk fast;
(4) One who squints is graceful if he is good-humoured;
(5) There is no one in the house but Ebenezer;
(6) Those who can see always avoid pigs;
(7) No discontented person, who has not travelled much, is interesting;
(8) People with heads on their shoulders are not irritating, so long as they are not talkative;
(9) A squinting Gentile, who is easily taken in, ought not to buy a horse;
(10) All old people are discontented invalids;
(11) No one of learning, who is very remarkable, travels much;
(12) Any one, who has not been educated by a pig, will take to smoking, unless he is threatened with a blunderbuss;
(13) All, who are not in the house, have heads on their shoulders;
(14) Nothing but a pig can be made into bacon;
(15) Those who are learned are always interesting;
(16) No Jews are fond of pigs;
(17) Bearded persons, who look shy, are in failing health;
(18) Ebenezer has a head on his shoulders so long as he is alive;
(19) All invalids are fretful and troublesome;
(20) When a cab-driver retires from business, he always takes to farming;
(21) None but Frenchmen are fat and yet graceful;
(22) Gentiles are easily taken in;
(23) Those who wear beards always retire from business when their health fails;
(24) All fretful creatures that grunt can be made into bacon;
(25) A dull person is not troublesome, so long as he has some sense in his head;
(26) Fat people, who wish to ride, are always good-humoured;
(27) An unlearned person, who avoids pigs, has some sense in his head;
(28) Any one, who does not care for pitch-and-toss and is willing to be painted green, is very remarkable;
(29) A talkative cab-driver is never a bore;
(30) All farmers, who wear beards, are fond of pigs;
(31) A Jew that squints always looks shy;
(32) No fat pigs walk fast;
(33) Any one, who looks anxious, is an irritating bore;
(34) Creatures, that are not pigs but have been educated by pigs, always grunt;
(35) If Ebenezer took to smoking, it would kill him;
(36) All unlearned persons are dull;
(37) Those who have heads on their shoulders always look anxious;
(38) A blind person, who is easily taken in, may buy a horse, provided he does not wish to ride;
(39) All pigs are fat.

[June, 1887.]