Logical Reasoning

PT114 · S2 · Q14 Ethicist: Both ASA and TPA are

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Ethicist: Both ASA and TPA are clot-dissolving agents.

Background

ASA and TPA are both used for the same purpose, but TPA, which costs more, would save at most two more lives out of every 50 patients.

Conclusion

But financial saving involved in using ASA over TPA must also be weighed against the extra grieving that using ASA could cause.

Evidence

The relatives of patients who die just because they were given the less expensive medicine would be particularly upset.

Evaluate

We start with a couple background facts before we hit the Author's Pivot with the However.

But / yet / however usually signals that we're shifting from background and/or counterpoint claims into the Author's Argument.

But the pivot word itself doesn't tell you whether you'll hear, But Conclusion, because Evidence or But since Evidence, Conclusion

In this case, the "since" shows us that the first half of the last sentence is a Premise and the second half is the Conclusion.

Goal

We need to look for a re-wording of .

14.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the ethicist's argument?

  1. ASA should never be given

    Too Strong: never

    Nothing in this paragraph is anywhere near as strong as "never". The author's conclusion is a very wishy-washy claim that "one thing should be weighed against another".

    2% picked this

  2. TPA is a slightly more

    Never Said

    This is one of those trap answers saying an Inference or an Assumption (an invisible claim). We're not looking for a hidden idea the author also believes. We looking for an equivalent rephrasing of the author's explicit conclusion, so we need the final claim of this paragraph.

    6% picked this

  3. Correct

    The extra expense of TPA

    Why this is right

    The last claim is saying The financial saving of ASA must also be weighed simply against X. That's a clever rephrasing of The extra expense of TPA cannot be weighed simply against the few additional lives saved. The author was saying that as we're considering whether to go with the extra expense of TPA vs. the financial saving of ASA, it's not just the "at most 2" out of 50 patients we could save. We must also weigh the fact that saving money with ASA could lead to really regretful grieving from people who lose loved ones and forever blame the cheaper treatment.

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

    83% picked this

  4. ASA is a less expensive

    Never Said

    This is not a claim that was made. It's an inference derived by combining the first two sentences. We're trying to find the best match for the final claim of the paragraph, which was this author's conclusion.

    2% picked this

  5. Relatives of a patient who

    Premise

    This was prefaced by since, so we know it's a Supporting idea. FABS = for, after all, because, since always indicate Supporting ideas

    6% picked this

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