Logical Reasoning

PT145 · S4 · Q17 Principle: The government should

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Principle: The government should not prevent someone from expressing a true belief unless expressing it would be harmful to people generally.

Principle

Expressing a true belief government should wouldn't harm people generally → not prevent

Conclusion

The government should not have prevented Calista from expressing her belief [that excessive use of cell phones partly explains the recent uptick in cancer rates].

Evaluate

The rule has two criterion we need to establish, before we're allowed to conclude the right side (that the govt shouldn't prevent).

We got to know 1. true belief 2. expressing it won't harm people generally

Goal

We want to know 1. it's true that high cell phone use is partly responsible for uptick in cancer 2. expressing that fact won't harm people generally

17.

Which one of the following, if true, would most help to justify the above application of the principle?

  1. The government has conducted extensive

    Doesn't Establish Either

    Great, they've conducted research .... what were the results!?! This has no impact because it doesn't help us know whether it's true/false that cell phones are causing cancer. And it says nothing about whether expressing the belief would cause harm.

    0% picked this

  2. Correct

    Several studies have found evidence

    Why this is right

    This establishes both "true belief" (several studies have found evidence that cell phones partly caused the uptick in cancer) and "won't cause harm generally" (it would benefit people for her to express this belief).

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

    79% picked this

  3. Calista firmly believes that knowing

    Only One Criterion

    This doesn't cover whether it's a true belief that "cell phones are causing the increase in cancer". It relates to whether expressing the belief would harm people, but it's stated as her belief rather than as a fact we can trust.

    8% picked this

  4. Unless there is strong evidence

    Doesn't Establish Either

    This has no impact because it doesn't help us know whether it's true/false that cell phones are causing cancer. And it says nothing about whether expressing the belief would cause harm.

    10% picked this

  5. Most people would reduce their

    Doesn't Establish Either

    This has no impact because it doesn't help us know whether it's true/false that cell phones are causing cancer. And it says nothing about whether expressing the belief would cause harm.

    2% picked this

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