Logical Reasoning

PT118 · S4 · Q22 The only preexisting recordings that

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The only preexisting recordings that are transferred onto compact disc are those that record companies believe will sell well enough on compact disc to be profitable.

Conclusion

Most classic jazz recordings will not be transferred onto CD.

Evidence

Most classic jazz recordings are not played on the radio, and if record companies don't believe something will sell enough on CD to be profitable, then they won't transfer those recordings onto CD.

Evaluate

When we see our conclusion is "most classic jazz recordings will not be transferred", we want to ask ourselves two questions: - have they told me anything that is true of most classic jazz recordings? (if not, that must be in the correct answer) - have they given me a rule / law / mechanism that lets me derive the idea of won't be transferred to CD (if not, that idea must be in the correct answer)

In this argument, they gave us information about the Naming Part of the conclusion (most classic jazz recordings) and they gave us a rule that lets us derive the Telling Part (won't be transferred onto CD).

But we need a little skill to manipulate those two premises.

When we see negative quantifiers like "no / few / not all", we want to make a habit of always switching them over to their positive restatements: No A's are B = All A's are ~B Few A's are B = Most A's are ~B Not all A's are B = Some A's are ~B

That's how we turned into .

The first sentence uses the conditional indicator "the only", which indicates a sufficient condition (put the attached idea on the LEFT of the arrow).

This can be confusing, since "only" and "only if", which appear much more frequently, are always indicating necessary (put it on the RIGHT) ideas.

But "the only" is "the only time that only means Left".

So that conditional looks like preexisting recording → record companies transferred to CD think will be profitable

Since the conclusion is trying to create this path Most classic --------------> not jazz recordings transferred

and we currently have these two pieces: Most classic → not played jazz recordings on radio

RC's don't → not think will be transferred profitable

All we're missing is that internal link.

Goal

We need to get from "not played on radio" to .

Most classic → not played jazz recordings on radio →

RC's don't → not think will be transferred profitable

22.

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

  1. Few of the preexisting recordings

    Unrelated to Goal Reversed "Most" Statement

    This definitely isn't connecting "not played on radio" to "not believed to be profitable". It feels somewhat tempting because what we would love to hear in order to prove the argument is that "Most classic jazz recordings are recordings that record companies don't believe would be profitable if transferred." This answer says, "Most of the recordings that record companies believe would be profitable if transferred are not classic jazz". If we're looking to hear that "most men don't know how to braid hair", it's not the same to be told that "most people who do know how to braid hair are not men". Maybe 90% of women and 70% of men know how to braid hair. Even though it's true to say "most of those who know how to braid are not men", that does not mean the same thing as "most men do not know how to braid" (70% of them do!)

    5% picked this

  2. Few compact discs featuring classic

    Unrelated to Goal

    This definitely isn't connecting "not played on radio" to "not believed to be profitable". It only has the "not played on radio" part, because it would look like this: Most CDs of classic jazz are not played on the radio. We can't prove our conclusion until we establish that "most classic jazz recordings are not believed by record companies to be profitable if transferred".

    2% picked this

  3. The only recordings that are

    Negated Logic

    We are looking for not played on radio ? record companies don't believe profitable This is saying (the only = put it on LEFT) played on radio ? RC's do believe profitable This illegal negation (illegal "light switch") does not count as the idea we're looking for. We have A ? B and C ? D and we're trying to create A ------------------> D This answer, instead of giving us B ? C is giving us ~B ? ~C

    30% picked this

  4. Most record companies are less

    Out of Scope: less interested

    Correct answers on Sufficient Assumption will almost never introduce new language or concepts, such as "more interested / less interested". We need to get from knowing "most classic jazz recordings aren't played on the radio" to establishing that "most classic jazz recordings aren't seen as likely to be profitable if transferred", so that we can derive the conclusion.

    1% picked this

  5. Correct

    No recording that is not

    Why this is right

    How friendly, with the double negative! In general, when we convert "No A's are B" to "All A's are ~B" we end up with A ? ~B. So if we're converting "No [recording not played on radio] is [one record companies believe will be profitable]", we'll get All [recordings not are [not ones record companies believe played on radio] will be profitable] or not played ? not a recording record on radio companies believe will be profitable if transferred We know that Most classic jazz recordings are not played on radio, so according to this rule, Most classic jazz recordings are not recordings that record companies believe would be profitable. Thus, according to the first sentence, Most classic jazz recordings will not be transferred onto CD.

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

    61% picked this

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