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- Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:00 pm
#36608
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
This stimulus addresses the geocentric view once maintained by Orthodox Christianity. One premise of
this view was that “Earth was at the center of the universe” and one of its conclusions was that “Earth
and its inhabitants were important.” The essayist’s premise that Earth is “at the outskirts of a spiral arm
of one of countless galaxies” refutes the geocentric premise. Thus, reasons the essayist, the geocentrists’
conclusion must also be refuted. The flaw in this argument is obvious: just because one reason for
believing something is shown to be false does not necessarily prove that the belief itself is false. Whether
or not Earth and its inhabitants are important depends far more on the definition of important than on the
location of Earth. Answer choice (B) correctly expresses this idea.
Answer choice (A): This is the most commonly chosen incorrect answer. The essayist’s argument is
essentially that if the reason for believing something is bad, then the belief itself is false. This answer
choice says that if the reason for believing something is good, then the belief is true. Answer choice (A)
is actually a Mistaken Negation of the essayist’s argument and is not a flaw in the argument.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Believing something for the wrong reason does
not mean that the belief itself is incorrect. If I believe that the sky is blue because outer space is that
color, my rationale is clearly incorrect. According to the essayist, however, my belief that the sky is blue
would also be false. Since the essayist fails to consider the possibility that Earth and its inhabitants may
still be important even if Earth is not at the center of the universe, this answer choice is correct.
Answer choice (C): This is a confusing answer choice due to the negative wording. For this to be a flaw
in the argument, it must be true that resolving it would strengthen the argument (any time a flaw in an
argument is corrected that argument is strengthened). Would the essayist’s argument be strengthened
if the essayist considered that there can be no reason for disbelieving true statements? No, since the
essayist has already given a reason to disbelieve that the Earth is important (because it is not the center
of the universe), the argument would be unaffected by including the idea that he or she does not need a
reason to hold that belief.
Answer choice (D): The essayist writes, “People once believed…” and “people’s old belief…” This
construction indicates that the argument is dealing with a specific belief that was held during a specific
time. It is not necessary to show that people had different beliefs at different times if the author deals
with beliefs from a specific time.
Answer choice (E): Answer choice (E) is very similar to answer choice (D) and is incorrect for similar
reasons. The essayist has limited the scope of his argument to people who believed Earth and inhabitants
were important because of Earth’s position at the center of the universe. These people may be from one
or several cultures, but the essayist has no obligation to discuss people from cultures which do not fit
the scope of his argument. Limiting the scope of an argument to a specific group or specific time is not a
flaw as long as the argument does not make conclusions about other groups or other times.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
This stimulus addresses the geocentric view once maintained by Orthodox Christianity. One premise of
this view was that “Earth was at the center of the universe” and one of its conclusions was that “Earth
and its inhabitants were important.” The essayist’s premise that Earth is “at the outskirts of a spiral arm
of one of countless galaxies” refutes the geocentric premise. Thus, reasons the essayist, the geocentrists’
conclusion must also be refuted. The flaw in this argument is obvious: just because one reason for
believing something is shown to be false does not necessarily prove that the belief itself is false. Whether
or not Earth and its inhabitants are important depends far more on the definition of important than on the
location of Earth. Answer choice (B) correctly expresses this idea.
Answer choice (A): This is the most commonly chosen incorrect answer. The essayist’s argument is
essentially that if the reason for believing something is bad, then the belief itself is false. This answer
choice says that if the reason for believing something is good, then the belief is true. Answer choice (A)
is actually a Mistaken Negation of the essayist’s argument and is not a flaw in the argument.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Believing something for the wrong reason does
not mean that the belief itself is incorrect. If I believe that the sky is blue because outer space is that
color, my rationale is clearly incorrect. According to the essayist, however, my belief that the sky is blue
would also be false. Since the essayist fails to consider the possibility that Earth and its inhabitants may
still be important even if Earth is not at the center of the universe, this answer choice is correct.
Answer choice (C): This is a confusing answer choice due to the negative wording. For this to be a flaw
in the argument, it must be true that resolving it would strengthen the argument (any time a flaw in an
argument is corrected that argument is strengthened). Would the essayist’s argument be strengthened
if the essayist considered that there can be no reason for disbelieving true statements? No, since the
essayist has already given a reason to disbelieve that the Earth is important (because it is not the center
of the universe), the argument would be unaffected by including the idea that he or she does not need a
reason to hold that belief.
Answer choice (D): The essayist writes, “People once believed…” and “people’s old belief…” This
construction indicates that the argument is dealing with a specific belief that was held during a specific
time. It is not necessary to show that people had different beliefs at different times if the author deals
with beliefs from a specific time.
Answer choice (E): Answer choice (E) is very similar to answer choice (D) and is incorrect for similar
reasons. The essayist has limited the scope of his argument to people who believed Earth and inhabitants
were important because of Earth’s position at the center of the universe. These people may be from one
or several cultures, but the essayist has no obligation to discuss people from cultures which do not fit
the scope of his argument. Limiting the scope of an argument to a specific group or specific time is not a
flaw as long as the argument does not make conclusions about other groups or other times.