Clearly in the presence of experts, I’m afraid to suggest that step four in your logic ought to read: “Therefore our parents are Santa”. Am I missing something?
It’s all right; the classical syllogisms only take two premises to one conclusion, whereas here I want to take three premises to one conclusion. So classically, this requires two steps; the intermediate step can either be that the person who brings us presents is real or that our parents are Santa. On the other hand, it is still a valid syllogism all at once, a generalisation of the classical ones.
I told my younger sibling that Santa Claus was real:
Santa is the person who brings us the presents.
Our parents bring us the presents.
Our parents are real.
Therefore, Santa Claus is real.
I don’t remember how I found out the truth, but this is how she found out, when she asked me.
Clearly in the presence of experts, I’m afraid to suggest that step four in your logic ought to read: “Therefore our parents are Santa”. Am I missing something?
It’s all right; the classical syllogisms only take two premises to one conclusion, whereas here I want to take three premises to one conclusion. So classically, this requires two steps; the intermediate step can either be that the person who brings us presents is real or that our parents are Santa. On the other hand, it is still a valid syllogism all at once, a generalisation of the classical ones.