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- Thu Jul 14, 2016 3:19 pm
#27185
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
We are told that the university needs to reduce its budget. To accomplish this the author argues that the university must either eliminate faculty positions or reduce faculty salaries. Finally the author concludes that salary reductions must occur, since a reduction in the number of faculty positions will not happen. The flaw here is known as a false dilemma: no reason is ever given as to why reducing staff or reducing salaries are the only possible ways to reduce the budget, hence other options could be available (and the conclusion that the university must reduce salaries may not be true).
Answer choice (A): The author never makes a comparison about the money saved by each of the two options.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As discussed above, it is possible that the budget could be reduced by some means other than the two given.
Answer choice (C): The author only states that revenue fell by 15 percent. He/she never claims that budget cuts will need to make up for the entire difference (in fact, no claim about how much the budget must be reduced is ever made; the only claim is that it must be reduced).
Answer choice (D): The argument never makes a claim about how faculty members may respond to reduced salaries.
Answer choice (E): The author clearly states that no faculty positions will be eliminated, so a combination of the two options is impossible.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
We are told that the university needs to reduce its budget. To accomplish this the author argues that the university must either eliminate faculty positions or reduce faculty salaries. Finally the author concludes that salary reductions must occur, since a reduction in the number of faculty positions will not happen. The flaw here is known as a false dilemma: no reason is ever given as to why reducing staff or reducing salaries are the only possible ways to reduce the budget, hence other options could be available (and the conclusion that the university must reduce salaries may not be true).
Answer choice (A): The author never makes a comparison about the money saved by each of the two options.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. As discussed above, it is possible that the budget could be reduced by some means other than the two given.
Answer choice (C): The author only states that revenue fell by 15 percent. He/she never claims that budget cuts will need to make up for the entire difference (in fact, no claim about how much the budget must be reduced is ever made; the only claim is that it must be reduced).
Answer choice (D): The argument never makes a claim about how faculty members may respond to reduced salaries.
Answer choice (E): The author clearly states that no faculty positions will be eliminated, so a combination of the two options is impossible.