Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT110 S3 Q20 Explanation

Critic: Political utility determines the

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Stimulus

Critic: Political utility determines the popularity of a metaphor. In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a human body governed by a head is pervasive. Therefore, the society-as-body metaphor, with its connection between society’s proper functioning and governance by a head, promotes metaphors, such as likening society to a family.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Conclusion

The critic claims the body-with-head metaphor specifically promotes more acceptance of authoritarian repression than other metaphors do.

Evidence

The reason: that metaphor is pervasive in authoritarian societies.

Evaluate

The critic's logic: pervasive in authoritarian societies → distinctively pro-authoritarian. But this only works if the body metaphor is more pervasive there than other metaphors — i.e., if it's the metaphor that authoritarian societies prefer.

To weaken the argument, show that the body metaphor doesn't stand out in authoritarian societies. If, say, the family metaphor is just as pervasive there, then the critic can't claim the body metaphor is distinctively authoritarian-promoting. Both metaphors would be equally common in authoritarian contexts.

Goal

Find the answer showing another metaphor is equally pervasive in authoritarian societies.

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The question
20.

Which one of the following statements, if true, most weakens the

Answer choices

  1. Correct74% picked this

    In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a family is just as pervasive as

    Why this is right

    This is the weakener. The critic's argument depended on the body metaphor being distinctively pervasive in authoritarian societies — that's how the critic links it to promoting authoritarian repression more than other metaphors. But if the family metaphor is just as pervasive in those same societies, then the body metaphor isn't doing distinctive work; both metaphors are present at similar rates. The critic's "greater acceptance than other metaphors" comparison loses its support.

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

  2. No Impact3% picked this

    Every society tries to justify the legitimacy of its government through the

    Whether every society uses metaphor for governmental legitimacy doesn't address the critic's specific comparison between metaphors. The critic isn't arguing that some societies use metaphors and others don't — they're comparing different metaphors' effects on authoritarian acceptance.

  3. No Impact15% picked this

    The metaphor of society as a human body is sometimes used

    The body metaphor sometimes appearing in non-authoritarian societies doesn't weaken the claim about its effect in authoritarian ones. The critic says it promotes greater acceptance of authoritarian repression compared to other metaphors — that comparison stands even if the metaphor appears occasionally in democracies.

  4. No Impact5% picked this

    Authoritarian leaders are always searching for new metaphors for society in their effort to

    Whether authoritarian leaders search for new metaphors doesn't bear on the critic's claim about which existing metaphor promotes acceptance of repression. The argument compares the body metaphor's effect to other established metaphors.

  5. No Impact2% picked this

    The metaphor of society as a human body governed by a head is rarely used

    This actually fits the critic's narrative: if the body metaphor is rare in liberal democracies, that's consistent with the metaphor being especially associated with authoritarianism. It supports the critic, if anything, rather than weakening.

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