Logical Reasoning

PT133 · S1 · Q7 The cause of the epidemic

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The cause of the epidemic that devastated Athens in 430 B.C. can finally be identified.

Conclusion

It was Ebola that devastated Athens in 430 B.C.

Evidence

We know they experienced hiccups (which is only known to be a symptom of Ebola) and that other symptoms they had are also symptoms of Ebola.

Evaluation

This is a Curious Fact / Explanation type argument. curious fact: What was the epidemic that devastated Athens in 430 B.C. author's explanation: Ebola

Goal

We can Weaken it in two different ways: - supply a different explanations for the curious fact (why else did so many people die? / why else did so many people have hiccups?) - undermine the plausibility of the author's explanation (what sort of evidence makes it seem less likely that 430 B.C. Athens had a case of Ebola)

7.

Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT:

  1. Victims of the Ebola virus

    Lowers Plausibility of Ebola

    If Ebola has some many other telltale symptoms that aren't part of what we know about the epidemic, that weakens the plausibility that this epidemic was Ebola.

    7% picked this

  2. Correct

    Not all of those who

    Why this is right

    This was almost guaranteed to be the right answer from the "not all". That language is so weak that it's almost never a correct answer on Strengthen / Weaken / Paradox. Since we're looking at an EXCEPT question (i.e. we're going to pick something that would be an incorrect answer on Weaken), we would be attracted to this answer. This just says there has been at least one person in history who had Ebola but not hiccups. Okay, cool. Did the author need it to be that 100% of people with Ebola get hiccups? No, 99% is plenty. We can say that "loss of taste and smell" isn't associated with any disease except COVID-19, but that doesn't mean we're saying that every single person who gets COVID-19 loses their taste and smell.

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

    71% picked this

  3. The Ebola virus's host animals

    Lowers Plausibility of Ebola

    If the animals that Ebola comes from didn't live in 430 B.C. Athens, then that makes the Ebola hypothesis way less likely.

    7% picked this

  4. The Ebola virus is much

    Lowers Plausibility of Ebola

    Just like choice (A), this gives a mismatch between what we'd expect from an Ebola outbreak and what we know of the Athenian epidemic. We'd expect to hear that the illness was very, very contagious, whereas what we know about the Athenian epidemic does not sound like they were dealing with an illness that was that contagious.

    9% picked this

  5. The epidemics known to have

    Lowers Plausibility of Ebola

    Just like choices (A) and (D), this gives a mismatch between what we'd expect from an Ebola outbreak and what we know of the Athenian epidemic. We'd expect to hear that an Ebola epidemic didn't last super long, but what we've heard about the Athenian epidemic is that it did last a long time.

    6% picked this

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