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Chapter 5: Problem 20

According to sources who can be expected to know, Dr. Maria Esposito is going to run in the mayoral election. But if Dr. Esposito runs, Jerome Krasman will certainly not run against her. Therefore Dr. Esposito will be the only candidate in the election. The flawed reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels that in which one of the following? (A) According to its management, Brown's Stores will move next year. Without Brown's being present, no new large store can be attracted to the downtown area. Therefore the downtown area will no longer be viable as a shopping district. (B) The press release says that the rock group Rollercoaster is playing a concert on Saturday. It won't be playing on Friday_if it plays on Saturday. So Saturday will be the only day this week on which Rollercoaster will perform. (C) Joshua says the interviewing panel was impressed by Marilyn. But if they were impressed by Marilyn, they probably thought less of Sven. Joshua is probably right, and so Sven will probably not get the job. (D) An informant says that Rustimann was involved in the bank robbery. If Rustimann was involved, Jones was certainly not involved. Since these two are the only people who could have been involved, Rustimann is the only person the police need to arrest. (E) The review said that this book is the best one for beginners at programming. If this book is the best, that other one can't be as good. So this one is the book we should buy.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The reasoning flaw is most similar in Option D.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Argument

The argument claims that because Dr. Esposito is running, Jerome Krasman will not run. Conclusions drawn state Dr. Esposito will be the only candidate.
02

Identify the Flaw

The key flaw in this reasoning is the unwarranted assumption that Dr. Esposito running and Jerome Krasman not running automatically implies no other candidate can run.
03

Compare With Options

Examine each option to find a structurally similar flaw, where an event results in one assumed effect, ignoring other possibilities.
04

Match to Option D

Option D similarly assumes involvement of Rustimann excludes Jones, leading directly to the conclusion that Rustimann's arrest is the only action needed, ignoring other potential robbers.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Argument Analysis
Understanding an argument is the first essential step in evaluating its validity or soundness. In the exercise, we have an argument built around the participation of Dr. Esposito in a mayoral election. The premises suggest that if Dr. Esposito runs, Jerome Krasman will not; thus, concluding that Dr. Esposito will be the sole candidate. To analyze this effectively, we need to break down the components:

  • Premise: Dr. Esposito is running in the election.
  • Assumption: Jerome Krasman will not run against her.
  • Conclusion: Dr. Esposito will be the only candidate.
Argument analysis involves assessing these elements critically to identify any hidden assumptions or logical jumps the author may have made. The leap from the premise and assumption to the conclusion is key, and understanding this helps uncover potential flaws.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves scrutinizing arguments and confidently challenging assumptions. In the given example, it's crucial to not merely accept the conclusion but question it. Why does the premise that two individuals' participation statuses lead to this conclusion? Critical thinking requires us to:

  • Identify implicit assumptions: This argument implicitly assumes only Krasman and Esposito could be candidates.
  • Consider all possibilities: There might be other candidates who could run, that the argument fails to mention.
  • Evaluate evidence: Are the sources reliable who say Dr. Esposito is running? What about the credibility regarding Krasman's intentions?
By using critical thinking, one can dismantle the structure of an argument and explore whether it holds up under scrutiny.
Flawed Reasoning
Flawed reasoning occurs when an argument is based on invalid logic or misguided assumptions. In our scenario, the flaw is the assumption that Dr. Esposito and Jerome Krasman are the only possible candidates, and Krasman's non-participation guarantees Esposito's sole candidacy.

Flaws to note include:
  • False Dilemma: Suggests only two candidates exist when there could be more.
  • Unsupported Conclusion: The final conclusion does not logically follow from the premises provided.
  • Overgeneralization: The argument makes broad statements without considering other scenarios, like additional candidates entering the race.
Recognizing such reasoning defects helps in evaluating arguments logically and identifying parallels in other contexts. Say, in Option D, similar flawed reasoning appears when it is concluded that only Rustimann's involvement is necessary to determine the robbery participants.
Problem Solving
Engaging in problem solving when evaluating arguments means seeking alternative explanations and solutions beyond initial conclusions. For instance, to solve the problem of flawed reasoning in our exercise, consider these steps:

  • Re-examine Assumptions: Challenge the notion that only Dr. Esposito and Jerome Krasman could be candidates.
  • Seek Additional Information: Is there insight available on potential other candidates or factors influencing participation?
  • Develop Scenarios: Formulate different scenarios where both or neither may run, or new candidates enter the race.
Effective problem solving allows for developing comprehensive understandings and innovative solutions to logical problems, making sure that conclusions are not hastily drawn without all available information. This approach mirrors the process of critically both determining and correcting flaws within arguments.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The author discusses the impact of gray marketing on goodwill in order to (A) fault trademark owners for their unwillingness to offer a solution to a major consumer complaint against gray marketing (B) indicate a way in which manufacturers sustain damage against which they ought to be protected (C) highlight one way in which gray marketing across markets is more problematic than gray marketing within a market (D) demonstrate that gray marketing does not always benefit the interests of unauthorized distributors (E) argue that consumers are unwilling to accept a reduction in price in exchange for elimination of service

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If you climb mountains, you will not live to a ripe old age. But you will be bored unless you climb mountains. Therefore, if you live to a ripe old age, you will have been bored. Which one of the following most closely parallels the reasoning in the argument above? (A) If you do not try to swim, you will not learn how to swim. But you will not be safe in boats if you do not learn how to swim. Therefore, you must try to swim. (B) If you do not play golf, you will not enjoy the weekend. But you will be tired next week unless you relax during the weekend. Therefore, to enjoy the weekend, you will have to relax by playing golf. (C) If you work for your candidate, you will not improve your guitar playing. But you will neglect your civic duty unless you work for your candidate. Therefore, if you improve your guitar playing, you will have neglected your civic duty. (D) If you do not train, you will not be a good athlete. But you will become exhausted easily unless you train. Therefore, if you train, you will not have become exhausted easily. (E) If you spend all of your money, you will not become wealthy. But you will become hungry unless you spend all of your money. Therefore, if you become wealthy, you will not become hungry.

Despite a steady decrease in the average number of hours worked per person per week, the share of the population that reads a daily newspaper has declined greatly in the past 20 years. But the percentage of the population that watches television daily has shown a similarly dramatic increase over the same period. Clearly, increased television viewing has caused a simultaneous decline in newspaper reading. Which one of the following, if true, would be most damaging to the explanation given above for the decline in newspaper reading? (A) There has been a dramatic increase over the past 20 years in the percentage of people who tell polltakers that television is their primary source of information about current events. (B) Of those members of the population who do not watch television, the percentage who read a newspaper every day has also shown a dramatic decrease. (C) The time people spend with the books and newspapers they read has increased, on average, from 1 to 3 hours per week in the past 20 years. (D) People who spend large amounts of time each day watching television are less able to process and remember printed information than are those who do not watch television. (E) A typical television set is on 6 hours a day, down from an average of \(61 / 2\) hours a day 5 years ago.

Which one of the following, if true, would cast the most doubt on Rubinstein's argument concerning wealth and the official governing elite in nineteenth- century Britain? (A) Entry into this elite was more dependent on university attendance than on religious background. (B) Attendance at a prestigious university was probably more crucial than a certain minimum family income in gaining entry into this elite. (C) Bishops as a group were somewhat wealthier, at the point of entry into this elite, than were higher civil servants or chairmen of manufacturing companies. (D) The families of many members of this elite owned few, if any, shares in iron industries and textile industries in the north of England. (F) The composition of this elite included vice-chancellors, many of whom held office because of their wealth.
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