The concept of "either-or" is commonly applied in syllogism when dealing with disjunctive syllogisms. A disjunctive syllogism is a type of logical argument with a major premise that presents two or more alternatives. It states that one of the alternatives must be true while excluding the possibility of the others.
The general form of a disjunctive syllogism is as follows:
- Either A or B (Major premise: presenting two alternatives)
- Not A (Minor premise: excluding one of the alternatives)
- Therefore, B (Conclusion: the remaining alternative must be true)
For example:
- Either it's raining outside or the sun is shining.
- It's not raining outside.
- Therefore, the sun is shining.
The concept of "either-or" can be useful in logical reasoning and problem-solving, as it helps to narrow down possibilities and reach valid conclusions based on the given information.