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- Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:00 am
#74559
Complete Question Explanation
The correct answer choice is (A)
This question asks us about the primary purpose of the author's discussion of the work of scientists in lines 7-14 of the passage. As always with these Local Reference questions, we want to take a second look at those lines 7-14. We also want to look briefly look at the paragraph surrounding those lines. (In response to your question about this - we always want to look a bit before and after the referenced line numbers. It is not uncommon for the answer to be hidden there rather than in the actual referenced lines). Before moving onto examining the answer choices, we take a second to Pre-Phrase an answer. My Pre-Phrase would look something like: "The author seems to be describing the work of scientists in these lines primarily as a way to expound upon the approach of objectivist philosophers, and to contrast that approach with that of the more traditional view." With that in mind, we come down to the answer choices.
Answer Choice (A). This is the correct answer. It doesn't 100% match our Pre-Phrase, but it hits on a very important piece of it: that the discussion of scientists is used to contrast the objectivists' approach with the more traditional one.
Answer Choice (B). Don't be fooled just because this answer choice quotes a section of the referenced lines ("...particular point of view.") We're interested in the author's purpose in bringing up the scientists. Is the author advocating for describing the sensation of pain without reference to any particular point of view? No. That's an objectivist philosopher position. The author is not taking sides here between the objectivists and subjectivists. The author is not arguing for that, and so (B) is incorrect.
Answer Choice (C). Again, this answer choice attempts to assign an objectivist philosopher opinion to the author. The author is not arguing in favor of the objectivist position, and therefore is not arguing for "why scientists should not concern themselves with describing how a phenomenon feels from the inside". (C) is incorrect for the same reason as (B).
Answer Choice (D). The word "criticize" is the main reason this answer choice is incorrect. Again, we're interested in the author's purpose. If the question stem asked, "What was the objectivists' purpose in citing scientists, as referenced in lines 7-14," then "(D) would make for a good answer. As it is, the author is not taking sides here and does not criticize the subjectivists for thinking there is little to be gained from scientifically studying the mind. (D) is incorrect for primarily the same reason as (B) and (C).
Answer Choice (E). This is likely the most compelling of the incorrect answers. Unlike (B), (C), and (D), it doesn't try to assign the author an objectivist point of view, so we can't immediately cross it out for that simple reason. And the referenced lines do work in tandem with the following sentence, which says that the approach cited in those lines "has been remarkably successful in yielding knowledge". However, that is not the primary purpose for which the scientists are mentioned in lines 7-14. The author didn't bring up the scientists mainly to talk about how successful they've been in those other fields. No; she brought them up to explain the approach of objectivist philosophers and to contrast that approach with the traditional one - just like we said in our Pre-Phrase. So while (E) isn't "immediately" wrong like (B), (C), and (D), it's still incorrect as it doesn't describe the author's primary purpose like (A) does.
The correct answer choice is (A)
This question asks us about the primary purpose of the author's discussion of the work of scientists in lines 7-14 of the passage. As always with these Local Reference questions, we want to take a second look at those lines 7-14. We also want to look briefly look at the paragraph surrounding those lines. (In response to your question about this - we always want to look a bit before and after the referenced line numbers. It is not uncommon for the answer to be hidden there rather than in the actual referenced lines). Before moving onto examining the answer choices, we take a second to Pre-Phrase an answer. My Pre-Phrase would look something like: "The author seems to be describing the work of scientists in these lines primarily as a way to expound upon the approach of objectivist philosophers, and to contrast that approach with that of the more traditional view." With that in mind, we come down to the answer choices.
Answer Choice (A). This is the correct answer. It doesn't 100% match our Pre-Phrase, but it hits on a very important piece of it: that the discussion of scientists is used to contrast the objectivists' approach with the more traditional one.
Answer Choice (B). Don't be fooled just because this answer choice quotes a section of the referenced lines ("...particular point of view.") We're interested in the author's purpose in bringing up the scientists. Is the author advocating for describing the sensation of pain without reference to any particular point of view? No. That's an objectivist philosopher position. The author is not taking sides here between the objectivists and subjectivists. The author is not arguing for that, and so (B) is incorrect.
Answer Choice (C). Again, this answer choice attempts to assign an objectivist philosopher opinion to the author. The author is not arguing in favor of the objectivist position, and therefore is not arguing for "why scientists should not concern themselves with describing how a phenomenon feels from the inside". (C) is incorrect for the same reason as (B).
Answer Choice (D). The word "criticize" is the main reason this answer choice is incorrect. Again, we're interested in the author's purpose. If the question stem asked, "What was the objectivists' purpose in citing scientists, as referenced in lines 7-14," then "(D) would make for a good answer. As it is, the author is not taking sides here and does not criticize the subjectivists for thinking there is little to be gained from scientifically studying the mind. (D) is incorrect for primarily the same reason as (B) and (C).
Answer Choice (E). This is likely the most compelling of the incorrect answers. Unlike (B), (C), and (D), it doesn't try to assign the author an objectivist point of view, so we can't immediately cross it out for that simple reason. And the referenced lines do work in tandem with the following sentence, which says that the approach cited in those lines "has been remarkably successful in yielding knowledge". However, that is not the primary purpose for which the scientists are mentioned in lines 7-14. The author didn't bring up the scientists mainly to talk about how successful they've been in those other fields. No; she brought them up to explain the approach of objectivist philosophers and to contrast that approach with the traditional one - just like we said in our Pre-Phrase. So while (E) isn't "immediately" wrong like (B), (C), and (D), it's still incorrect as it doesn't describe the author's primary purpose like (A) does.