Logical Reasoning

PT123 · S3 · Q23 Political candidates’ speeches are loaded

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Political candidates’ speeches are loaded with promises and with expressions of good intention, but one must not forget that the politicians’ purpose in giving these speeches is to get themselves elected.

Evidence

Political candidates’ speeches are loaded with promises and with expressions of good intention.

But one must not forget that the politicians’ purpose in giving these speeches is to get themselves elected.

Conclusion

Clearly, then, these speeches are selfishly motivated and the promises made in them are unreliable.

Evaluate

This is an ad hominem attack. Just because politicians are motivated to win reelection does not mean that their promises are unreliable.

23.

Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the argument above?

  1. The argument presumes, without providing

    Negation

    This negates the assumption of the argument that if a person's promise is selfishly motivated then that promise is unreliable.

    7% picked this

  2. The argument presumes, without providing

    Too Strong

    The argument does not go so far as to say that such promises are never kept, but rather says that they are unreliable.

    14% picked this

  3. The argument confuses the effect

    Wrong Flaw

    This correctly describes a flaw that is not contained in the argument. This describes a causal reasoning error.

    3% picked this

  4. Correct

    The argument overlooks the fact

    Why this is right

    This correctly describes the difference between a questionable source and an unreliable claim.

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

    72% picked this

  5. The argument overlooks the fact

    Wrong Conclusion

    Whether or not a politician is worthy of the office for which he or she is running is not relevant to the argument

    4% picked this

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