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---
base-css:
- https://static.carnap.io/css/tufte.css
- https://static.carnap.io/css/tuftextra.css
---
---
css:
- https://carnap.philosophy.ubc.ca/shared/dave/prettyproofUBC.css
---
Natural Deduction Proofs in SL
==============================
This chapter introduces a di erent proof system in SL, separate from the tree method. The tree method has advantages and disadvantages. One advantage of trees is that, for the most part, they can be produced in a purely mechanical way---one need rely only on a rigorous application of a well-defined procedure; no 'flash of insight' is necessary. Another advantage is that, when a tree remains open, the tree method gives us a recipe for constructing an interpretation that satisfies the root. One disadvantage is that they do not always emphasize in an intuitive way *why* a conclusion follows from a set of premises; they show that something *must* be the case, on pain of contradiction, but they don’t always demonstrate, in a way closely connected to natural reasoning, why some things follow from other things.
The **natural deduction** system of this chapter will differ from the tree method in all of
these respects. It is intended to model human reasoning in a closer way,
illustrating the connections between various claims; consequently,
working through a natural deduction proof requires a bit more insight
and inspiration than a tree proof does.
Natural deduction proofs can be used to prove that an argument is valid; if an argument is invalid, our natural deduction system will not necessarily make that obvious. We won't have the equivalent to a completed open tree --- a proof of invalidity. It will turn out that there is a natural deduction derivation corresponding to every valid argument in SL --- i.e., like the tree method, this method is complete. (It is also sound.) But we won't offer a way to prove that there is no proof, and so natural deduction can't be used by itself to prove invalidity.
**7.1 Natural Deduction: the basic idea**
----------------
The general idea of a natural deduction proof is simple. You begin by writing down the premises you're beginning with, each on its own numbered line. Then you add a new numbered line, adding sentences that you can demonstrate to follow logically from what you have already written. (A formal list of rules gives the legal options for how to develop the proof.) If, following the rules, you manage to derive the conclusion from the premises, then you've shown that the argument form from those premises to that conclusion is valid.
Formally, a **proof** is a numbered sequence of sentences. The first sentences of the sequence are assumptions; these are the premises of the argument. Every sentence later in the sequence is derived from earlier sentences by one of the rules of proof. The final sentence of the sequence is the conclusion of the argument.
Consider these two SL argument forms (*Modus Ponens* and *Disjunctive Syllogism*):
<div class="side-by-side">
<div>
Modus Ponens
```{.PrettyProof}
P \supset Q
P
Q
```
</div>
<div>
Disjunctive Syll.
```{.PrettyProof}
P \vee Q
\neg P
Q
```
</div>
</div>
Both are valid; you could confirm this with a four-line truth table. Either would demonstrate that there is no interpretation satisfying both premises, while falsifying the conclusion. The truth table method does not distinguish between these argument forms; it simply shows that they are both valid. There is, however, an interesting and important difference between these two argument forms, gestured at by their labels. The first argument, *Modus Ponens*, has a distinctive syntactic form: its premises are a conditional and the antecedent of that conditional, and the conclusion is the consequent; the second has a different form.
The natural deduction method is based in the recognition of particular kinds of valid forms. They also correspond reasonably well to familiar forms of informal reasoning. If you know a conditional, and you also know its antecedent, it is easy to infer its consequent. (Imagine being sure that if I ate the chilli, I'll get sick, and also being sure that I ate the chilli. You will surely infer that I will get sick.) *Modus ponens* is the name of this kind of conditional reasoning, and there is a special rule for it in our natural deduction system.
**7.2 Our first rule: Conditional Elimination (*modus ponens*)**
----------------
Many different arguments demonstrate the *modus ponens* pattern; all of them are valid:
<div class="side-by-side">
<div>
```{.PrettyProof}
P \supset \neg Q
P
\neg Q
```
</div>
<div>
```{.PrettyProof}
\neg P \supset (A \equiv B))
\neg P
\neg (A \equiv B))
```
</div>
</div>
<div>
```{.PrettyProof}
P \vee Q \supset A
P \vee Q
\neg A
```
</div>
All of these arguments are similar in an important way to the *modus ponens* argument above, and different from the *disjunctive syllogism* one. But the truth table proof of the validity for each of these arguments will go the same way: it will simply produce a truth table, and show that there is no row where the premises are all true and the conclusion is false. The truth table method does not illuminate what the *modus ponens* inferences all have in common.
Another way of making this point is to observe that the method of truth tables does not clearly show *why* an argument is valid. If you were to do a 1024-line truth table for an argument that contains ten sentence letters, then you could check to see if there were any lines on which the premises were all true and the conclusion were false. If you did not see such a line, and you were sure that you made no mistakes in constructing the table, then you would know that the argument was valid. Yet you might not be able to say anything further about why this particular argument was a valid argument form.
The natural deduction system of this chapter will include an inference rule corresponding to *modus ponens*. Natural deduction proofs of these validities, then, will all share something important in common: they will use that inference rule. Here, in its formal presentation, is the rule:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi \supset \Psi$</div>
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$E m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
As has been the case throughout this book, the Greek letters $\Phi$ and $\Psi$ are variables that can represent any SL sentence. The $m$ and $n$ here are variables ranging over line numbers. What this rule says is that if you have a conditional $\Phi \supset \Psi$ on line $m$, and you also have $\Phi$, the antecedent of that conditional, on line $n$, you can write the consequent $\Psi$ on a new line.
The notation off to the right in the new line, ''$\supset$ E $m, n$,'' is the justification for the new line. ''$\supset$ E'' stands for ''Conditional Elimination,'' which is our official name for the *modus ponens* rule. (We call it an 'elimination' rule because it begins with a conditional statement, and ends up deriving a statement that is not a conditional.)
With this rule, we can prove that any of the *modus ponens* arguments mentioned above is valid. Here are proofs of two of them:
<div class="side-by-side">
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$P \supset \neg Q$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$P$</div>
<div>$\neg Q$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$E 1,2</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$(P \lor Q) \supset A$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$P \lor Q$</div>
<div>$A$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$E 1,2</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Notice that these two proofs share just the same structure. We start by listing the premises as lines 1 and 2. We include a horizontal line under those premises to indicate that subsequent lines will need to be derived via rules; so we apply the conditional elimination rule to get the conclusion. We justify that conclusion by citing Conditional Elimination, and lines 1 and 2.
One can produce more complicated proofs via the same rule. Let's prove that this SL argument form is valid:
> | <span class="premise"> $A$</span>
> | <span class="premise"> $A \supset B$</span>
> | <span class="premise"> $B \supset C$</span>
> | <span class="premise"> $C \supset (\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R))$</span>
> | <span class="conclusion"> $\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R)$</span>
We begin by writing our four premises on numbered lines:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$A$</div>
<div>$A \supset B$</div>
<div>$B \supset C$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$C \supset (\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R))$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>want $\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R)$</div>
</div>
</div>
We also include the 'want' notation off to the right, indicating what conclusion we are attempting to establish. (This is not strictly required as part of our proof, but it is helpful in keeping things organized.) We will complete the proof when we derive $\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R)$ --- i.e., when, while following the rules for how proofs may be developed, we write that sentence down on its own line. We cannot use conditional elimination to get to that sentence directly from our premises. We do have, on line 4, a conditional with that sentence as a consequent, but we don't have $C$, the antecedent, on its own line. However, we can get there via two steps of our inference rule. From lines 1 and 2, we can get $B$, and then, from there and 3, we can get to $C$. Finally, a third instance of conditional elimination lets us derive the intended conclusion:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
<div>5</div>
<div>6</div>
<div>7</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$A$</div>
<div>$A \supset B$</div>
<div>$B \supset C$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$C \supset (\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R))$</div>
<div>$B$</div>
<div>$C$</div>
<div>$\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R)$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>want $\neg P \equiv (Q \lor R)$</div>
<div> $\supset$E 1, 2</div>
<div> $\supset$E 3, 5</div>
<div> $\supset$E 4, 6</div>
</div>
</div>
Here are three things to notice about this proof.
First, every line after the premises needs to include a justification, citing a rule and the applicable previous line numbers. (So far Conditional Elimination is our only rule, but we will learn more very soon.) You can only write a new line if you have a rule that shows how it follows from previous lines.
Second, once you have derived something from the premises, that new line is available to help justify future lines. Once we derive line 5, for example, we're able to use it with line 3 to derive line 6.
Third, the Conditional Elimination rule requires that you have a conditional and its antecedent; it doesn't matter what order they are listed in. (In other words, when the rule says you need to have a conditional on line $m$, and its antecedent on line $n$, it does not matter whether $m<n$.) It also does not matter whether they are on consecutive lines. They just have to be on *some* lines up above, before performing the rule. So it is fine, for instance, that in justifying line 5, we cite a conditional on line 2, and its antecedent on line 1.
**7.3 Exact Matches**
----------------
Conditional Elimination, as well as all of our other natural deduction rules, are syntactically defined. That is to say, the application of the rules depends on the exact shape of the SL sentences in question. Here, again, is the formal statement of the rule:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi \supset \Psi$</div>
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$E m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
It says that any time one has, on one line, a sentence made up of some sentence $\Phi$, followed by the '$\supset$' symbol, followed by some sentence $\Psi$, where one also has $\Phi$ on another line, one may derive $\Psi$. This is the only pattern of inference that this rule permits. $\Phi$ and $\Psi$ can be any sentences of SL, but a line justified by Conditional Elimination must fit this pattern exactly. It is not enough that one can 'just see' that a given sentence follows via a similar pattern of inference.
For example, this is *not* a legal derivation in our system:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$P \supset (A\ \&\ B)$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$P$</div>
<div>$B$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$E 1,2</div>
</div>
</div>
The Conditional Elimination rule requires that the new sentence derived be the consequent of the conditional cited. But in this example, $B$ is not the consequent of $P\supset (A \& B)$ --- $A \& B$ is. It is true that $B$ obviously follows from $A \& B$, but the Conditional Elimination rule doesn't allow you to derive things just because they obviously follow. (Neither does any other rule in our formal system.) To derive $B$ from these premises we'll need to use another rule. (In particular, we will want to use the Conjunction Elimination rule, given below.)
To check to make sure you are applying the rules correctly, one good heuristic is to think about whether you are relying on the rule itself, or on your intuitive understanding of the meanings of the symbols we use in SL. Your intuitive understanding is a good way to think about which rules to use, but to check to make sure you're using the rules properly, think about whether the rules' exact formulations could explain why it is permissible to extend the derivation in the exact way you're working with. Pretend, for instance, that you have no idea what the `$\supset$' symbol means, but you know only that if you have two sentences joined by it on one line, and the first of those two sentences on another line, then you are allowed to copy down the second sentence exactly on a new line. This --- and no more --- is what the Conditional Elimination rule permits you to do. (This is what we mean when we say the rule is syntactically defined.)
**7.4 Our Second Rule: *modus tollens***
----------------
Here is another rule one can use with conditionals:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi \supset \Psi$</div>
<div>$\neg \Psi$</div>
<div>$\neg \Phi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>MT m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
If you have a conditional on one numbered line, and the negation of its consequent on another line, you may derive the negation of its antecedent on a new line. We abbreviate the justification for this rule as 'MT' for *modus tollens*. If you know that if she found the treasure, she is happy, and you also know that she isn't happy, then you can very sensibly infer that she didn't find the treasure.
You may notice an asymmetry between the labels we use for *modus ponens* and *modus tollens*: in the former case, we use Conditional Elimination ($\supset$ E) as its official name, but in the latter case, we call the rule Modus Tollens (MT). We'll explain in more detail why we use the labels in this way when we discuss 'basic' and 'derived' rules in Section 7.8 below. For now, the important thing is to understand how to use the rule.
Here is an example employing *Modus Tollens* several times over. We will derive $\neg A$ from $\{A \supset B, B \supset C, C \supset D, \neg D\}$:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
<div>5</div>
<div>6</div>
<div>7</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$A \supset B$</div>
<div>$B \supset C$</div>
<div>$C \supset D$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$\neg D$</div>
<div>$\neg C$</div>
<div>$\neg B$</div>
<div>$\neg A$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>want $\neg A$</div>
<div> MT 3, 4</div>
<div> MT 2, 5</div>
<div> MT 1, 6</div>
</div>
</div>
At each of lines 5--7, we cite a conditional and the negation of its consequent to infer the negation of its antecedent.
**7.5 Disjunction Elimination**
----------------
Recall this argument form from the Introduction:
<div>
```{.PrettyProof}
P \vee Q
\neg P
Q
```
</div>
We noted above that this is a different argument form from one that uses *modus ponens*; instead, it uses a kind of derivation that is specific to disjunction. From a disjunction like $P \lor Q$ alone, you can't conclude either disjunct, but you can conclude that *at least one* of the two disjuncts is true. So if you have also established that one of the disjuncts is false --- i.e., its negation is true --- then you can conclude the other disjunct, as in the argument above.
This inference form is sometimes called 'Disjunctive Syllogism'. In our system, it will be our official Disjunction Elimination ($\lor$E) rule. If you have a disjunction and also the negation of one of its disjuncts, you may conclude the other disjunct.
<div class="side-by-side">
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi \vee \Psi$</div>
<div>$\neg \Psi$</div>
<div>$\Phi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\vee$E m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi \vee \Psi$</div>
<div>$\neg \Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\vee$E m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
We represent two different inference patterns here, because the rule
allows you to conclude *either* disjunct from the negation of the other.
If we'd only listed the left version of the rule above, then $\vee E$ would've
only permited one to conclude the *first* disjunct from the negation of
the *second* one, along with the disjunction. Our rule lets us work with
either disjunction. (If you want to be very fussy about it, you could
think of these as two different rules with a strong conceptual
similarity that happen to have the same name.)
Now that we have several rules, we are in a position to see how they can interact to construct more interesting proofs. Consider for example this argument form:
<div>
```{.PrettyProof}
\neg L \supset (J \vee L)
\neg L
J
```
</div>
The two premises match the requirements for Conditional Elimination (*modus ponens*). And once that is done, we will be in a position to use Disjunction Elimination to derive the desired conclusion:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\neg L \supset (J \lor L)$</div>
<div class="last-premise">$\neg L$</div>
<div>$J \lor L$</div>
<div>$J$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>want $J$</div>
<div>$\supset$E 1, 2;</div>
<div>$\lor$E 2, 3</div>
</div>
</div>
Via Conditional Elimination, we can derive $J \lor L$ from lines 1 and 2. Then from $J \lor L$ and $\neg L$, we can derive $J$, by Disjunction Elimination.
In this example, unlike the others we've seen so far, we used the premise on line 2 twice --- notice that the 2 appears in the justification for both line 3 and line 4. There is no limit to how many times you can make use of a given line in a natural deduction proof; once something is established, you can make use of it as often as you like.
**7.6 Conjunction Introduction**
----------------
Here is another rule. It is our Conjunction Introduction rule, which we abbreviate '$\&$I':
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
<div>$\Phi$ & $\Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>&I m,n</div>
</div>
</div>
This rule says that if you have some sentence $\Phi$, and you also have some sentence $\Psi$, you may derive their conjunction, $(\Phi\ \&\ \Psi)$. It is called Conjunction *Introduction* because it derives a conjunction from sentences that are not conjunctions.
Recall again that it is not a requirement either conjunct be an atom, or that $m$ and $n$ be consecutive lines, or that they appear in the order listed here. We require only that each line has been established somewhere above in the proof. If you have $K$ on line 15 and $L$ on line 8, you can prove $(K\ \&\ L)$ at some later point in the proof with the justification '$\&$I 8, 15.'
**7.7 Conjunction Elimination**
----------------
We have just seen that Conjunction Introduction allows you derive a conjunction from a non-conjunction; Conjunction Elimination lets you do the converse. From a conjunction, you may derive either of its conjuncts. From $(A\ \&\ (P \lor Q))$, for instance, you may derive $A$, or you may derive $(P \lor Q)$. (Or you could even apply Conjunction Elimination twice and derive both.)
Because it lets you work on either conjunct, we formalize it twice over, much as we did with Disjunction Elimination. This will be our Conjunction Elimination rule, which we abbreviate '$\&$E':
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi$ & $\Psi$</div>
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>&E m</div>
<div>&E m</div>
</div>
</div>
The $\&$E rule requires only one sentence, so we write one line number as the justification for applying it.
Here is an example illustrating our two conjunction rules working together. Consider this argument.
```{.PrettyProof}
[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)] & [(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]
[(E \vee F) \supset (G \vee H)] & [(A \vee B)\supset (C\vee D)]
```
The main logical operator in both the premise and conclusion is
conjunction. Since conjunction is symmetric, the argument is obviously
valid. In order to provide a proof, we begin by writing down the
premise. After the premises, we draw a horizontal line --- everything
below this line must be justified by a rule of proof. So the beginning
of the proof looks like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$ & $[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$</div>
</div>
</div>
From the premise, we can get each of the conjuncts by &E. The proof now
looks like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$ & $[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$</div>
<div>$[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$</div>
<div>$[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>&E 1</div>
<div>&E 1</div>
</div>
</div>
The rule &I requires that we have each of the conjuncts available
somewhere in the proof. They can be separated from one another, and they
can appear in any order. So by applying the &I rule to lines 3 and 2, we
arrive at the desired conclusion. The finished proof looks like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$ & $[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$</div>
<div>$[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$</div>
<div>$[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$</div>
<div>$[(E \vee F) \supset (G\vee H)]$ & $[(A \vee B) \supset (C \vee D)]$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>&E 1</div>
<div>&E 1</div>
<div>&I 2,3</div>
</div>
</div>
This proof may not look terribly interesting or surprising, but it shows how we can use rules of proof together to demonstrate the validity of an argument form. Note also that using a truth table to show that this argument is valid would have required a staggering 256 lines, since there are eight sentence letters in the argument. A proof via trees would be less unwieldy than that, but it would be less simple and elegant than this one. (Constructing such a proof would be a good exercise for tree review.)
**7.8 Basic and derived rules**
----------------
We have so far introduced five rules: Conditional Elimination, *modus tollens*, Disjunction Elimination, Conjunction Elimination, and Conjunction Introduction. There are still more rules still to learn, but it is helpful first to pause and draw a distinction between different kinds of rules.
Many of our rules, we have seen, carry the name 'Elimination' or 'Introduction', along with the name of one of our SL connectives. In fact, every rule except *modus tollens* has had such a name. Such rules are the *basic* rules in our natural deduction system. The basic rules comprise an Introduction and an Elimination rule for each connective, plus one more rule. *Modus tollens* is not a basic rule; we will call it a *derived* rule.
A derived rule is a non-basic rule whose validity we can derive using basic rules only. A useful fact about our natural deduction system is that the basic rules themselves are enough to derive every SL validity. Derived rules are helpful for making some proofs shorter or more intuitive, but one could prove anything provable without them.
We have already seen the Introduction and Elimination rules for conjunction, and the elimination rules for disjunction and conditionals. In the next several sections, we'll finish canvassing the basic rules, then say a bit more about *modus tollens* and other derived rules.
**7.9 The remaining basic rules**
----------------
### **7.9.1 Disjunction Introduction**
If $M$ is true, then $M \lor N$ must also be true. In general, the Disjunction Introduction rule ($\lor$I) allows us to derive a disjunction if we already have one of its two disjuncts:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Phi \vee \Psi$</div>
<div>$\Psi \vee \Phi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>$\vee$I m</div>
<div>$\vee$I m</div>
</div>
</div>
One can introduce a disjunct in either position --- it can be the first disjunct or the second disjunct. Accordingly, both options are listed here. (One is not required to do both; you can just take whichever version you find most helpful.)
As always, $\Psi$ can be *any* sentence whatsoever. So the following is a legitimate proof:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$M$</div>
<div>$M \vee ([(A \equiv B) \supset (C$ & $D)] \equiv [E$ & $F])$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>$\vee$I 1</div>
</div>
</div>
It may seem odd that just by knowing $M$ we can derive a conclusion that includes sentences like $A$, $B$, and the rest --- sentences that have nothing to do with $M$. Yet the conclusion follows immediately by $\lor$I. This is as it should be: The truth conditions for the disjunction mean that, if $\Phi$ is true, then $\Phi \lor \Psi$ is true regardless of what $\Psi$ is. So the conclusion could not be false if the premise were true; the argument form is valid.
### **7.9.2 Conditional Introduction**
Consider this argument:
```{.PrettyProof}
R \vee F
\neg R \supset F
```
The argument form seems like it should be valid. (You can confirm this by examining the truth tables.) The Conditional Introduction rule can demonstrate that this is so.
We begin the proof by writing down the premise of the argument, making a note of our intended conclusion, and drawing a horizontal line, like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$R \vee F$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div>want $\neg R \supset F$</div>
</div>
</div>
If we had $\neg R$ as a further premise, we could derive $F$ by the $\lor$E rule. But we do not have $\neg R$ as a premise of this argument, nor can we derive it directly from the premise we do have --- so we cannot simply prove $F$. What we will do instead is start a *subproof*, a proof within the main proof. When we start a subproof, we draw another vertical line to indicate that we are no longer in the main proof. Then we write in an assumption for the subproof. This can be anything we want. Here, it will be helpful to assume $\neg R$. We want to show that, if we did assume that, we would be able to derive $F$. So we make a new assumption that $\neg R$, and give ourselves a note that we wish to derive $F$. Our proof now looks like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$R \vee F$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\neg R$</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div>want $\neg R \supset F$</div>
<div>want $F$</div>
</div>
</div>
It is important to emphasize that we are not claiming to have proven $\neg R$ from the premise on line 1. We do not need to write in any justification for the assumption line of a subproof. (The 'want' is a note to ourself, not a justification.) The new vertical line indicates that an *assumption* is being made. You can think of the subproof as posing the question: What could we show *if* $\neg R$ were true? We are trying to show that we could derive $F$. And indeed, we can:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$R \vee F$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\neg R$</div>
<div>F</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div>want $\neg R \supset F$</div>
<div>want $F$</div>
<div>$\vee$E 1,2</div>
</div>
</div>
This has shown that *if* we had $\neg R$ as a premise, *then* we could
prove $F$. In effect, we have proven $\neg R \supset F$. So the
conditional introduction rule ($\supset$I) will allow us to close the subproof
and derive $\neg R \supset F$ in the main proof. Our final proof looks
like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$R \vee F$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\neg R$</div>
<div>F</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>$\neg R \supset F$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>want $F$</div>
<div>$\vee$E 1,2</div>
<div>$\supset$I 2-3</div>
</div>
</div>
The $\supset$I lets us **discharge** the assumption we'd been making, ending that vertical
line. During lines (2) and (3), we were *assuming* that $R$; by the time
we get to line (4), we are no longer making that assumption.
Notice that the justification for applying the $\supset$I rule is the entire
subproof. That's why we justify it by reference to a range of lines,
instead of a comma-separated list. Usually that will be more than just
two lines.
It may seem as if the ability to assume anything at all in a subproof
would lead to chaos: Does it allow you to prove any conclusion from any
premises? The answer is no, it does not. Consider this proof:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\Psi$</div>
<div>$\Psi\ \&\ \Phi$</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>&I 1, 2</div>
</div>
</div>
Does this show that one can prove any arbitrary sentence $\Psi$ from any
arbitrary premise $\Phi$? After all, we've written $\Psi\ \&\ \Phi$ on a line of a proof that
began with $\Phi$, without violating any of the rules of our system. The
reason this doesn't have that implication is the vertical line that
still extends into line 3. That line indicates that the assumption made
at line 2 is still in effect. When the vertical line for the subproof
ends, the subproof is *closed*. In order to complete a proof, you must
close all of the subproofs. The conclusion to be proved must not be
'blocked off' by a vertical line; it should be aligned with the
premises.
In this example, there is no way to close the subproof and use the R
rule again on line 4 to derive in the main proof. Once you close a
subproof, you cannot refer back to individual lines inside it. One can
only close a subproof via particular rules that allow you to do so; $\supset$I is
one such rule; &I does not close subproofs. One can't just close a subproof willy-nilly. Closing a subproof is called *discharging* the assumptions of that subproof. So we can put the point this way: You cannot complete a proof until you have discharged all of the assumptions other than the original premises of the argument.
Of course, it is legitimate to do this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>$\Phi$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\Psi$</div>
<div>$\Psi\ \&\ \Phi$</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>$\Psi \supset (\Psi\ \&\ \Phi)$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>&I 1, 2</div>
<div>$\supset$I 2-3</div>
</div>
</div>
This should not seem so strange, though. The conclusion on line 4 really does follow from line 1. (Draw a truth table if you need convincing of this.)
Once an assumption has been discharged, any lines that have been shown to follow from that assumption --- i.e., those lines that the vertical line of that assumption continues through --- cannot be cited as justification on further lines. So this development of the proof above, for instance, is not permitted:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
<div>4</div>
<div>5</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$R \vee F$</div>
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\neg R$</div>
<div>F</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>$\neg R \supset F$</div>
<div>$F \lor A$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div> </div>
<div>want $F$</div>
<div>$\vee$E 1,2</div>
<div>$\supset$I 2-3</div>
<div>$\lor$I 3</div>
</div>
</div>
Once the assumption made at line 2 has been discharged at line 4, the lines within that assumption --- 2 and 3 --- are unavailable for further justification. So one cannot perform Disjunction Elimination on line 3 at line 5.
Put in its general form, the $\supset$I rule looks like this:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>m</div>
<div>n</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div class="last-premise">$\Phi$</div>
<div>$\Psi$</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>$\Phi \supset \Psi$</div>
</div>
<div class="justification">
<div>want $\Psi$</div>
<div> </div>
<div>$\supset$I m-n</div>
</div>
</div>
When we introduce a subproof, we typically write what we want to derive
off to the right. This is just so that we do not forget why we started
the subproof if it goes on for five or ten lines. There is no 'want'
rule. It is a note to ourselves, and not formally part of the proof.
Although it is always permissible to open a subproof with any assumption you please, there is some strategy involved in picking a useful assumption. Starting a subproof with a random assumption is a terrible strategy. It will just waste lines of the proof. In order to derive a conditional by the $\supset$I rule, for instance, you must assume the antecedent of the conditional.
The $\supset$I rule also requires that the consequent of the conditional be the last line of the subproof. It is always permissible to close a subproof and discharge its assumptions, but it will not be helpful to do so until you get what you want. This is an illustration of the observation made above, that unlike the tree method, the natural deduction method requires some strategy and thinking ahead.
*Never* make an assumption without a plan for how to discharge it.
Here is another example of an argument form whose validity we can prove using the conditional rules.
```{.PrettyProof}
P \supset Q
Q \supset R
P \supset R
```
We begin the proof by writing the two premises as assumptions. Since the
main logical operator in the conclusion is a conditional, we can expect
to use the $\supset$I rule. For that, we need a subproof --- so we write in the
antecedent of the conditional as assumption of a subproof. We make a note that we are aiming for the consequent of that conditional:
<div class="tri-proof">
<div class="num">
<div>1</div>
<div>2</div>
<div>3</div>
</div>
<div class="proof">
<div>P $\supset$ Q</div>
<div class="last-premise">Q $\supset$ R</div>
<div class="tri-proof">