I need to do a syllogism for my controversial topic, "are people born gay or is homosexuality a choice?" Obviously I'm going the "born this way" route. I have to create a syllogism for it, and im not sure I quite get how to do it. You need a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion. I just have a hard time with the minor premise. Anyone have any tips?
Major premise: Heterosexuals do not choose their orientation Minor premise: Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation Conclusion: People do not choose their sexual orientation :S but don't quote me on this, that's just based on what I remember from a philosophy book I read ages ago, it's probably not done right.
You can't come to that conclusion from those two premises, as the premises only deal with heterosexuals, then the conclusion jumps to all people. You could say: Major premise: People do not choose their sexual orientation Minor premise: Some people are homosexual Conclusion: Homosexuals do not choose to be homosexual (or "Homosexuals do not choose their sexual orientation" if you want to keep the phrase link from premise one)
This was the example I was given: major: big cars are safer in accidents. Minor: trucks are big cars. Conclusion: trucks are safer in accidents
Simply, (going off on what Ridiculous contributed) Major premise: People do not choose their sexual orientation. Minor premise: Homosexual is a type of sexual orientation. Conclusion: People do not choose to be homosexual.