Logical Reasoning

PT107 · S4 · Q15 Ambiguity inspires interpretation

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Ambiguity inspires interpretation.

Conclusion

Ambiguity inspires interpretation.

Evidence

Check out this ambiguous saying and two interpretations it has inspired:

AMBIGUOUS CLAIM We are the measure of all things

INTERPRETATION 1 Of all the things that exist, we're arguably the most important.

INTERPRETATION 2 We are the ones measuring everything. If we're trying to figure out the meaning of life, it should be by our standards.

Evaluate

We can help ourselves understand that the first sentence is the Conclusion by remembering the reading twist that Main Conclusion and Role arguments have: they love to put the conclusion earlier than the support, often in the first sentence!

If we prime our brains before reading, we can better see that the first sentence gets unpacked / supported by everything that follows it.

The second sentence begins with the Support Indicator "for instance", helping us to see that we're trying to support/illustrate the generalization in the first sentence.

There is another Support Indicator "since" at the end, showing a Prem -> Conc relationship between two ideas, but those ideas were just explaining Interpretation #2.

Goal

Since they're asking us about the role of the first sentence, we just want an answer that sounds like - main conclusion - a generalization supported by an example

15.

The claim that ambiguity inspires interpretation figures in the argument in which one of the following ways?

  1. It is used to support

    Wrong Role

    It is the conclusion.

    6% picked this

  2. It is an illustration of

    Reversed

    The claim that we are the measure of all things is an illustration of the first sentence.

    5% picked this

  3. It is compatible with either

    Wrong Role

    This isn't neutral background information. This is the author's Main Conclusion!

    4% picked this

  4. Correct

    It is a view that

    Why this is right

    This is identifying the first sentence as the Main Conclusion. The other statements in an argument support the Conclusion.

    Skill tested: Role · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    82% picked this

  5. It sets out a difficulty

    Wrong Role

    The first sentence is the main conclusion, not a problem the author is trying to solve.

    3% picked this

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