What characterizes disjunctive syllogisms?

Disjunctive syllogisms are characterized by a major premise that presents mutually exclusive alternatives. This means that the major premise sets up a situation in which at least one of the given options must be true, while the other cannot be. For example, in a syllogism that states "Either A or B is true," if it is established that A is false, the conclusion must logically follow that B is true. This structure is fundamental to disjunctive syllogisms, as it relies on the principle of exclusivity between the alternatives presented.

The other options do not align with the structure of disjunctive syllogisms. Dependency among premises would suggest a different logical form, such as a categorical syllogism, where the premises are connected in a way that they rely on each other for the conclusion. Emotional appeals would not be a characteristic of disjunctive syllogisms, as they focus purely on logical reasoning rather than persuasive or emotional elements. Similarly, claims about premises being unqualified do not pertain to disjunctive syllogisms since these premises involve clear, defined alternatives that are necessarily exclusive. Thus, the emphasis on mutually exclusive alternatives in the major premise is the defining feature of disjunctive