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- amber
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Vinny Gambini
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Q2 - Which one of the following describes a flaw in the poli
Can someone help explain this one? I think I understand why the correct answer is correct, but I can't wrap my head around why the wrong answers are wrong.
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- ohthatpatrick
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q2 - Which one of the following describes a flaw in the poli
Sure thing!
Question type: Flaw
ARGUMENT CORE
conc – K’s argument, which implied that it would be improper to enter into a contract with the govt, is not persuasive
why?
evid – K’s company has had a bunch of lucrative contracts with the govt
ANALYSIS
This is a classic flaw. The fancy name is Ad Hominem. The conversational name is Attacking the Person. The idea behind this classic flaw is that we’re shooting down the legitimacy of someone’s idea based on
- previous behavior (i.e. being a hypocrite)
- ulterior motive (someone could be saying something true, even if they stand to benefit from it being true)
or
- personal qualities (rather than the substance of the ideas)
In this case, the author is saying “You’re not allowed to say that X is bad, because YOU did X before.”
ANSWER CHOICES
(A) It does conclude that an argument is defective. Is the only premise that “Kuyler didn’t persuade anyone”?
Of course not. The main premise is that K’s company has worked with the govt. before.
(B) Is the evidence TESTIMONY? No, it’s just a statement of a fact: K’s company has worked with the govt. before. This answer choice describes a different classic flaw, Sampling Flaw.
(C) Sounds good! “You’re wrong because you’re a hypocrite.”
(D) This classic flaw is called Failure to Prove vs. False. It sounds like “Cell phones do not cause cancer, since no one has ever proven that they do.” The author rejects K’s argument because of K’s past behavior, not because of K’s inadequate logic.
(E) Is the evidence an appeal to popular opinion? (i.e. “Most people think X”) No, it’s just the statement that K’s company used to work with the govt. This is a classic flaw as well, named Appeal to Inappropriate Authority.
Given that the correct answer, (C), and three incorrect answers were all from the big 10 Famous Flaws, this question shows why knowing these flaws can be valuable on some Flaw questions.
Hope this helps.
Question type: Flaw
ARGUMENT CORE
conc – K’s argument, which implied that it would be improper to enter into a contract with the govt, is not persuasive
why?
evid – K’s company has had a bunch of lucrative contracts with the govt
ANALYSIS
This is a classic flaw. The fancy name is Ad Hominem. The conversational name is Attacking the Person. The idea behind this classic flaw is that we’re shooting down the legitimacy of someone’s idea based on
- previous behavior (i.e. being a hypocrite)
- ulterior motive (someone could be saying something true, even if they stand to benefit from it being true)
or
- personal qualities (rather than the substance of the ideas)
In this case, the author is saying “You’re not allowed to say that X is bad, because YOU did X before.”
ANSWER CHOICES
(A) It does conclude that an argument is defective. Is the only premise that “Kuyler didn’t persuade anyone”?
Of course not. The main premise is that K’s company has worked with the govt. before.
(B) Is the evidence TESTIMONY? No, it’s just a statement of a fact: K’s company has worked with the govt. before. This answer choice describes a different classic flaw, Sampling Flaw.
(C) Sounds good! “You’re wrong because you’re a hypocrite.”
(D) This classic flaw is called Failure to Prove vs. False. It sounds like “Cell phones do not cause cancer, since no one has ever proven that they do.” The author rejects K’s argument because of K’s past behavior, not because of K’s inadequate logic.
(E) Is the evidence an appeal to popular opinion? (i.e. “Most people think X”) No, it’s just the statement that K’s company used to work with the govt. This is a classic flaw as well, named Appeal to Inappropriate Authority.
Given that the correct answer, (C), and three incorrect answers were all from the big 10 Famous Flaws, this question shows why knowing these flaws can be valuable on some Flaw questions.
Hope this helps.
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