UPSC CSE Prelims 2015
Which one of the following is correct?
The given statements are:
Let's analyze each conclusion:
This conclusion asserts that every man possesses at least one of the two qualities (greatness or wisdom). The statements only confirm the existence of some men who are great and some men who are wise. They do not provide information about all men. It is possible for some men to be neither great nor wise. For instance, if a group of men exists where some are great, some are wise, and a third group possesses neither attribute, the original statements would still hold true. Therefore, this conclusion cannot be logically derived from the given statements.
This conclusion asserts the existence of men who lack both qualities. Similar to Conclusion I, the statements only provide information about the existence of men with specific attributes. They do not provide any basis to infer the existence of men who possess neither attribute. It is plausible, based on the statements, that all men are either great, or wise, or both. For example, if all men are great, and some of those great men are also wise, then both original statements are true. In such a scenario, no men would be "neither great nor wise." Since the statements do not necessitate the existence of men who are neither great nor wise, this conclusion is also invalid.
Since neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II can be logically deduced from the given statements, neither is valid.
Options 1, 2, and 3 are incorrect because, as established, neither Conclusion I nor Conclusion II is logically valid based on the provided statements. The statements only indicate partial overlaps or existence within sets, not universal truths or specific non-overlaps that would support either conclusion.