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Full Idea
A puzzle about modus ponens is that the major premise is either false or unnecessary: A, If A then B / so B. If the major premise is true, then B follows from A, so the major premise is redundant. So it is false or not needed, and contributes nothing.
Gist of Idea
In modus ponens the 'if-then' premise contributes nothing if the conclusion follows anyway
Source
Stephen Read (Formal and Material Consequence [1994], 'Repres')
Book Ref
'Philosophy of Logic: an anthology', ed/tr. Jacquette,Dale [Blackwell 2002], p.243
A Reaction
Not sure which is the 'major premise' here, but it seems to be saying that the 'if A then B' is redundant. If I say 'it's raining so the grass is wet', it seems pointless to slip in the middle the remark that rain implies wet grass. Good point.
| 8078 | Modus ponens is one of five inference rules identified by the Stoics [Chrysippus, by Devlin] |
| 20309 | If our ideas are adequate, what follows from them is also adequate [Spinoza] |
| 5395 | Demonstration always relies on the rule that anything implied by a truth is true [Russell] |
| 3094 | You don't have to accept the conclusion of a valid argument [Harman] |
| 13617 | MPP is a converse of Deduction: If Γ |- φ→ψ then Γ,φ|-ψ [Bostock] |
| 13614 | MPP: 'If Γ|=φ and Γ|=φ→ψ then Γ|=ψ' (omit Γs for Detachment) [Bostock] |
| 10257 | Intuitionism only sanctions modus ponens if all three components are proved [Shapiro] |
| 14184 | In modus ponens the 'if-then' premise contributes nothing if the conclusion follows anyway [Read] |
| 15341 | Deduction Theorem: ψ only derivable from φ iff φ→ψ are axioms [Horsten] |