Logical Reasoning

PT148 · S1 · Q7 Peraski: Although driving gas-guzzling

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Peraski: Although driving gas-guzzling automobiles produces a greater level of pollution than driving smaller cars, those of us who drive smaller cars when we could use a bicycle cannot speak out against the use of gas guzzlers.

Peraski's Claims

1. Driving gas-guzzling automobiles produces a greater level of pollution than driving smaller cars.

2. Those of us who drive smaller cars when we could use a bicycle cannot speak out against the use of gas guzzlers.

3. We would be revealing our hypocrisy.

Jackson's Responses

1. No disagreement. In fact, he seems to implicitly agree that gas-guzzlers produce more pollution than smaller cars, since he alludes to "greater sources of pollution"

2. Disagrees. Peraski said that people who drive small cars can't / shouldn't speak out against gas guzzlers (because they could do even better for the environment if they swapped their small car for a bike). Jackson is saying that people who drive small cars should / can still speak out against gas-guzzlers.

3. Agrees that it is somewhat hypocritical to complain about emissions if you're still driving a car instead of a bike.

Goal

In this case, we have an explicit claim that the 2nd speaker disagrees with, so we should be able to head to answers looking for

7.

The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Peraski and Jackson disagree over whether

  1. driving a gas-guzzling automobile produces

    Both Agree

    We know Peraski agrees with this. While Jackson isn't explicit here, he seems to implicitly acknowledge that gas guzzlers are a "greater source of pollution" than are small cars. This is claim 1, which we decided they agree upon.

    0% picked this

  2. speaking out against the use

    Both Agree

    This is claim 3, which we decided they agree upon. Peraski and Jackson both acknowledge their hypocrisy.

    4% picked this

  3. driving even a small car

    Both Agree, if Anything

    We know Peraski agrees with this. While Jackson isn't explicit here, the fact that he's saying "I could do better in this area / just because I am being hypocritical" seems to acknowledge that driving a small car is worse, when it comes to pollution, than is using a bike.

    0% picked this

  4. Correct

    one should speak out against

    Why this is right

    This is claim 2, the one we decided that Jackson was fighting. Jackson would Agree with this claim, saying "it would be worse not to speak out against polluting, even if one is being hypocritical". In other words, Jackson is saying "speaking out against pollution, even if one is being hypocritical, is better than not speaking out." Peraski would Disagree, saying, "those of us who drive small cars, rather than biking, cannot speak out against pollution, because we would be revealing our hypocrisy."

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

    95% picked this

  5. there is no moral difference

    Unsupported Agree Position

    Both of them would probably disagree with this. They both think that gas guzzlers are worse than small cars, and they both care about pollution, so they would probably both say that driving a gas guzzler is morally worse than driving a small car. Neither of them think that driving a small car is morally perfect, because one could "do better" by riding a bike instead. But that doesn't mean there's no moral difference between gas guzzler and small car.

    0% picked this

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