Which formal fallacy is committed in the argument: 'All snakes are reptiles. Some snakes are poisonous creatures. Therefore all poisonous creatures are reptiles'?
AFallacy of illicit process of the major term
BFallacy of illicit process of the minor term ✓ Correct
CFallacy of undistributed middle term
DFallacy of four terms
Correct answer: (B) Fallacy of illicit process of the minor term
Explanation
The minor term poisonous creatures is distributed in the conclusion but not in its premise, an illicit minor.
The minor term is the subject of the conclusion All poisonous creatures are reptiles, so it is distributed there.
In the premise Some snakes are poisonous creatures that same term is the undistributed predicate of an I proposition.
A term distributed in the conclusion must already be distributed in the premises.
Its illicit spread from premise to conclusion is the fallacy of illicit process of the minor term.
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