Logical Reasoning

PT148 · S1 · Q3 Whether or not one can rightfully call

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Whether or not one can rightfully call a person's faithfulness a virtue depends in part on the object of that person's faithfulness.

Conclusion

Whether or not one can rightfully call a person's faithfulness a virtue depends in part on the object of that person's faithfulness.

Evidence

Virtues are supposed to be praiseworthy, but faithfulness isn't always praiseworthy (for example, you could be faithful to hating / resenting someone, and no one would call that virtuous).

Evaluate

Whenever we read Main Conclusion or Role, we start by thinking

If we go into these paragraph thinking, , it makes it easier to interpret what's going on.

Does the first sentence present as though it's our Author's Opinion? Yes, somewhat. It says "rightfully", which is an opinionated term.

Does the author proceed to try to defend / support that opening claim? Yes, the author gives an example of faithfulness that isn't a virtue, to support his claim that whether or not a certain faithfulness is a virtue depends on other factors.

Goal

Once we've correctly found the Conclusion, the hard part is done. We're now just picking whatever answer best matches the meaning of the first sentence.

3.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the overall conclusion drawn in the argument?

  1. Correct

    The object of a person's

    Why this is right

    This reiterates the meaning of the first sentence, just like we were hoping for. Whereas the first sentence used the form, "Whether not X is Y depends on Z", this answer choice rephrases that as, "Z partially determines whether or not X is Y".

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

    90% picked this

  2. Virtuous behavior is praiseworthy by

    Premise

    This does not match the first sentence, so it can't be right. It happens to be the 2nd claim, which is one of the premises.

    4% picked this

  3. Behavior that emerges from hatred

    Assumption / Inference

    This does not match the 1st sentence, so it can't be right. It also isn't a claim that was ever said, so it definitely can't be right no matter which claim we identified as the conclusion. These answers, which spit back an assumption or implication of the argument, feel tempting to people because it would be a correct answer to a different question type. But Main Conclusion is just about identifying which explicit claim is the conclusion and picking the answer that matches that claim.

    3% picked this

  4. Faithfulness and resentment are obviously

    Unstated

    This does not match the 1st sentence, so it isn't right. It also isn't a claim that was ever said, so it definitely can't be right no matter which claim we identified as the conclusion.

    1% picked this

  5. Resentment should not be considered

    Premise

    This does not match the 1st sentence, so it isn't right. It more or less replicates the meaning of "which is why no one considers resentment virtuous", which is part of the evidence.

    3% picked this

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