Logical Reasoning

PT130 · S4 · Q2 To keep one's hands warm

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To keep one's hands warm during the winter, one never needs gloves or mittens.

Premise (after all)

Keeping one’s vital organs warm can keep one’s hands warm as well.

Intermediate Conclusion

One can always keep one’s hands warm simply by putting on an extra layer of clothing, such as a thermal undershirt or a sweater.

Main Conclusion

To keep one’s hands warm during the winter, one never needs gloves or mittens.

Evaluate

There are two arguments here. While the main conclusion seems reasonable given the intermediate conclusion, the intermediate conclusion does not seem to follow from the premise. Because keeping one’s vitals warm can keep one’s hands warm does not mean one will always be able to do so. The intermediate conclusion is much stronger than the premise.

2.

Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?

  1. Maintaining the temperature of your

    Irrelevant Comparison

    The importance of maintaining the temperature of either is not relevant to the argument about whether one will maintain that temperature.

    1% picked this

  2. Several layers of light garments

    Irrelevant Comparison

    Comparing the effectiveness of these two measures is not relevant to weather one will be able to keep one’s hands warm by keeping one’s vital organs warm.

    1% picked this

  3. Correct

    Wearing an extra layer of

    Why this is right

    This weakens the argument by presenting a counterexample to the strong assertion in the intermediate conclusion.

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

    88% picked this

  4. Keeping one's hands warm by

    Too Weak

    Less effective is not the same as sometimes not effective. Less effective still leaves open the possibility that the measure is always basically effective.

    3% picked this

  5. The physical effort required to

    Too Weak

    The issue is keeping one’s vital organs warmed, while this is about putting on an extra layer of clothing. Remember the gap is between the premise and the intermediate conclusion, between keeping one’s vital organs warm and keeping one’s hands warm. According to this answer, the physical exertion does not warm the hands, but according to the argument it should be that one’s vital organs are warm.

    8% picked this

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