Logical Reasoning

PT128 · S3 · Q9 A television commercial argued as

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A television commercial argued as follows: both the product advertised and its competitor contain the same active ingredients, but the product advertised contains them in higher concentrations; tests show that the higher concentrations are completely safe; since a product that provides faster relief is always preferable, one should use the product advertised.

Conclusion

One should use the product advertised.

Evidence

product provides → always preferable faster relief

This advertised product has higher concentrations of the active ingredients than do competing products (and higher concentrations are perfectly safe).

Evaluate

Since the argument presents a principle, "provides faster relief → preferable"

we know the argument is trying to use this rule. Does the argument ever establish that this advertised product (Product X) provides faster relief?

No. But it establishes that it has higher concentrations of active ingredients, so the author is probably assuming that .

Goal

Look for an answer calling out the missing link assumption of , or pointing out the objection that higher concentrations might not provide faster relief, or some other way to argue that we shouldn't necessarily use Product X.

9.

The television commercial's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

  1. takes for granted that it

    Too Strong: true in all cases

    The author is definitely assuming that it is true in this case that a product with higher concentrations of active ingredients will provide faster relief than competing products. But the author doesn't have to assume that higher concentrations are more effective in 100% of cases. "More effective" ? "provides faster relief"

    9% picked this

  2. attempts to establish its conclusion

    Wrong Flaw

    This is an exotic phrasing of the famous Circular reasoning flaw. It would apply to an argument such as this: Chocolate is the best flavor of ice cream. After all, there is no flavor better than chocolate. It could also refer to other types of evidence (subjective accounts / dead people's opinions / things that are happening light years away from our solar system) that would seem hard to disprove. But the evidence here is "higher concentrations of active ingredients" which is extremely measurable / probable.

    1% picked this

  3. dismisses its competitor's claims because

    Wrong Flaw

    This refers to the famous Ad Hominem flaw, when an author dismisses someone's point of view for illicit reasons. But there is no claims being made by the competitor, so there is no point of view available for the author to commit this flaw.

    0% picked this

  4. attempts to manipulate the emotions

    Wrong Flaw

    This refers to the famous Inappropriate Appeal (to Emotion / to Dubious Expert). There's nothing in the evidence that sounds emotionally manipulative. The advertisement is making a perfectly logically sounding argument, with one big assumption that "higher concentrations of active ingredients provide faster relief".

    2% picked this

  5. Correct

    takes for granted that the

    Why this is right

    This matches the missing link we were looking for. The one thing we know about Product X is that it has higher concentrations of active ingredients. The argument is trying to conclude that Product X is superior, and it introduces a principle as its final premise: products that provide faster relief are superior. So the argument must be assuming that this advertised product provides faster relief.

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

    87% picked this

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