Logical Reasoning

PT125 · S2 · Q15 Humans are supposedly rational

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Humans are supposedly rational: in other words, they have a capacity for well-considered thinking and behavior.

Opposing Evidence

Humans are supposedly rational: in other words, they have a capacity for well-considered thinking and behavior.

Opposing Conclusion

Humans are superior to other animals.

Premise

But humans knowingly pollute the world’s precious air and water and, through bad farming practices, deplete the soil that feeds them.

Intermediate Conclusion (thus)

Humans are not rational.

Main Conclusion (so)

It is absurd to regard humans as superior to other animals.

Evaluate

That humans knowingly pollute the world’s precious air and water and deplete the soil that feeds them may show that in one respect humans are not rational. But other actions taken by humans may still be considered rational. So humans may be superior to other animals after all.

15.

The reasoning above is flawed in that it

  1. relies crucially on an internally

    Wrong Flaw

    The definition of rationality is not internally contradictory.

    6% picked this

  2. takes for granted that humans

    Out of Scope

    That humans are aware of their irrational behavior is not relevant to the argument.

    11% picked this

  3. neglects to show that the

    Out of Scope

    This would only be relevant if the argument was attempting to show that other animals are not superior to humans.

    7% picked this

  4. presumes, without offering justification, that

    Too Strong

    That humans are not superior to other animals leaves room for other animals to be superior to humans. This goes beyond the strength of the argument’s conclusion.

    1% picked this

  5. Correct

    fails to recognize that humans

    Why this is right

    This points out a weakness in the argument. That humans do not display well-considered thinking while polluting or farming does not demonstrate that humans never engage in well-considered thinking.

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

    74% picked this

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