Logical Reasoning

PT132 · S2 · Q7 When the famous art

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When the famous art collector Vidmar died, a public auction of her collection, the largest privately owned, was held.

Conclusion

I can't afford any of these works

Evidence

This collection is among the most valuable collections ever assembled by a single person

Evaluate

Given that the collection is among the most valuable (costly) ever, How could we still say we can afford at least one of these works?

Maybe there are some really cheap items. If we go to an Estate Sale, for some crazy rich person, will we be able to afford anything?

Possibly, there might be small-ticket items, like doilies and coasters and hangers.

Similarly, at this art auction, there might be Picasso's and Rembrandt's and such that make the collection worth $50 million, but there might also be a watercolor by Vidmar's barber, Lou, that is only going for $20.

Goal

This argument is making a Whole to Part assumption: since the collection is super expensive, each item in the collection must be super expensive.

7.

The flawed pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most closely parallel to that in MacNeil's argument?

  1. Each word in the book

    Part to Whole / Valid

    This goes from something true of the Part (each word in the book) to a conclusion about the Whole (the whole book). This is also a valid argument, since a book in which every word is in French is fairly described by saying "the whole book is in French".

    4% picked this

  2. The city council voted unanimously

    Valid

    This does make a Whole to Part move (premise about council, conclusion about councilperson). But it's a valid move, but the council voted unanimously, so therefore every member of the council did vote as the group voted.

    5% picked this

  3. Correct

    This paragraph is long. So

    Why this is right

    This makes a flawed Whole to Part move. The whole paragraph is long. So each sentence that is a part of it is long? That doesn't have to be true. I could make a very long paragraph with very short sentences.

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

    76% picked this

  4. The members of the company

    Part to Whole

    This is flawed, but it goes from Part (the members) to Whole (the company itself). We're trying to copy an argument that goes from Whole to Part.

    10% picked this

  5. The atoms comprising this molecule

    Part to Whole

    This is flawed, but it goes from Part (the atoms comprising the molecule) to Whole (the molecule itself). We're trying to copy an argument that goes from Whole to Part.

    6% picked this

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