Logical Reasoning

PT111 · S4 · Q14 Marian Anderson, the famous contralto

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Marian Anderson, the famous contralto, did not take success for granted.

Conclusion

Marian Anderson (MA) did not take success for granted.

Evidence (We know this because)

MA had to struggle early. Anyone who struggles early, keeps good perspective.

Evaluate

After we read the argument on Sufficient Assumption, we ask,

Which claim is the Conclusion? (which claim are we trying to prove?)

Is there any word/concept that's showing up in the Conclusion, but was never mentioned in the Evidence? (if so, that New Idea must be in the answer choice you pick)

Here, we knew the first sentence was the Conclusion because the second sentence begins with an indication that the author will know Evidence (we know this because).

Is there any word/concept in that first sentence that's never mentioned in the Evidence?

Yes, did not take success for granted. That idea will have to be in the correct answer.

Our job is to pick an answer choice that builds on to our existing Evidence, in order to prove the Conclusion. Most conclusions can be represented as a little Path of Logic. That's what we're trying to ultimately build.

Conclusion's Logic Path Marian ---------------------------> didn't take Anderson succ 4 granted

What bits and pieces of this path do we have so far?

Evidence (what we have so far) Marian ---> strgl Anderson early

strgl --> keep early good P

(our job) Synthesize Evidence Marian ---> strgl --> keep Anderson early good P

Okay, so that's the logic path we have. This is the one we want:

Conclusion's Logic Path Marian ---------------------------> didn't take Anderson succ 4 granted

In easier to see terms, what we have is A → B → C What we need to build is A ---------------------> D So our missing piece is C -------> D

Goal

In the case of Marian, we have this,

Marian ---> strgl --> keep Anderson early good P

So we want to add this, keep --> didn't take good P succ 4 granted in order to complete the Conclusion's path of logic.

Marian ------------------------> didn't take Anderson succ 4 granted

Conversationally, what do you know about Marian Anderson? you know she struggled early / keeps a good perspective

What are you trying to prove about Marian Anderson? she ain't no sucker who takes success for granted

What rule would allow you to prove that? anyone who struggled early / keeps a good perspective does not take success for granted.

14.

The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

  1. Anyone who succeeds takes success

    Unrelated to Goal

    We need a rule that allows us to prove that someone "does not take success for granted". This answer looks like this: Succeeds ? Takes success for granted We can only prove what's on the Right side of any conditional statement.

    0% picked this

  2. Correct

    Anyone who is able to

    Why this is right

    This matches the missing link we predicted: keep --> didn't take good P succ 4 granted Here's what we knew: Marian had to struggle early. If you struggle early, you keep a good perspective. Here's what our brains need to think, when we synthesized those two claims: Okay, so Marian keeps a good perspective. According to this answer choice, If you keep a good perspective, you don't take success for granted. So now what can we say about Marian? Marian doesn't take success for granted. Oh, snap, we just proved the conclusion.

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

    76% picked this

  3. Anyone who is able to

    Unrelated to Goal

    This answer doesn't provide a rule that lets us conclude that someone "does not take success for granted". The evidence didn't give us such a rule, so if an answer choice doesn't provide one that we'll have no way to logically prove a conclusion claiming that someone did not take success for granted. Mathematically, if you ask me to prove that a = x, my proof has to involve claims about both 'a' and 'x'. An answer choice without "does not take success for granted" is thinking we can prove "a = x" without ever mentioning "x".

    4% picked this

  4. Anyone who does not take

    Unrelated to Goal Reversed Logic

    We need a rule that allows us to prove that someone "does not take success for granted". This answer choice looks like this: does not take success ? struggled early for granted We can only prove what's on the Right side of any conditional statement, so this is functionally useless to us. We know that Marian struggled early, but knowing the Outcome (the right side) of a rule is true tells you nothing. Had this answer been written Anyone who struggled early does not take success for granted ... it would have been correct, since know that Marian struggled early, and thus could now prove that she did not take success for granted.

    5% picked this

  5. Anyone who does not take

    Unrelated to Goal Reversed Logic

    We need a rule that allows us to prove that someone "does not take success for granted". This answer choice looks like this: does not take success ? keeps good for granted perspective We can only prove what's on the Right side of any conditional statement, so this is functionally useless to us. We know that Marian keeps a good perspective, but knowing the Outcome (the right side) of a rule is true tells you nothing. Had this answer been written Anyone who keeps a good perspective does not take success for granted ... it would have been correct, since know that Marian keeps a good perspective, and thus could now prove that she did not take success for granted.

    15% picked this

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