Logical Reasoning

PT113 · S2 · Q15 Literary critic: The meaning of

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Literary critic: The meaning of a literary work is not fixed but fluid, and therefore a number of equally valid interpretations of it may be offered.

Conclusion (thus)

Any interpretation of a literary work tells more about the critic than about the writer.

Intermediate Conclusion (so)

Interpretations need not consider the writer's intentions.

Evidence

Interpretations primarily involve imposing meaning on a literary work rather than discovering meaning in it.

Intermediate Conclusion (therefore)

A number of equally valid interpretations of a literary work may be offered.

Evidence

The meaning of a literary work is not fixed but fluid.

Evaluate

There are three conclusions drawn?! We would certainly prioritize the main conclusion in the final sentence, but technically there are Missing Link assumptions being made at each stage of the argument.

The author is assuming all these ideas.

If meaning of work → a bunch of equally valid . is fluid, not fixed interps may be offered

If interps primarily interpretations need involve imposing, not →. not consider the discovering, meaning. writer's intentions

interpretations need. any interp tells us not consider the →. more about the critic . writer's intent than the writer

We could otherwise just ask ourselves, , and the author would say,

15.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the literary critic's argument?

  1. There are no criteria by

    Too Strong: there are no criteria

    The author is saying that a number of equally valid interpretations of a given work may be offered. But that also allows for the idea that a number of invalid interpretations could be offered. Thus, the author may think that there are some criteria by which to distinguish valid vs. invalid interpretations. Maybe they're loose enough criteria to allow for multiple valid interpretations, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist at all.

    9% picked this

  2. Correct

    A meaning imposed on a

    Why this is right

    This obliquely addresses the New Concept in the Conclusion, "tells us more about the critic". Here, they use the phrase "reflects facts about the interpreter". The author's argument boiled down to the idea that, "Since interpretation mainly involves imposing meaning on a work, we learn more about the critic who is imposing that meaning than we do about the writer who created that work." Our author is definitely assuming that the meaning imposed by the interpreter tells us something about the interpreter. If we negated this link, it would be saying this sort of objection, "Hey, author. We agree that interpretations impose meaning, rather than discover it. But that doesn't mean we learn more about the critic than the writer. After all, a meaning imposed on a work doesn't reflect any facts about the interpreter."

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

    76% picked this

  3. A writer’s intentions are relevant

    Contradicted, if anything

    Since the author says that "interpretations need not consider the writer's intentions", there's no way we could say the assumes that "a writer's intentions are relevant to a valid interpretation". Negating this and saying that a writer's intentions are irrelevant would actually fit just fine with this argument.

    4% picked this

  4. The true intentions of the

    Too Strong: never be known

    The argument said that a critic "need not consider the writer's intentions", but that doesn't mean that the critic "cannot ever know the true intentions of the writer".

    11% picked this

  5. The deepest understanding of a

    Out of Scope / Too Strong: deepest

    There's nothing in this paragraph at all about "deep" understanding, let alone the extreme superlative "the deepest" understanding. The author hasn't committed to any ideas regarding "the deepest" understanding.

    0% picked this

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