Morton: In order to succeed in

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct75% picked this

   assumes what it sets out to

   Why this is right

   "Assumes what it sets out to conclude" is the textbook description of circular reasoning. Morton needs to prove that a college degree is required for success. When confronted with counterexamples, Morton says they are "only apparent" because true success requires a college degree — which is the conclusion itself, used as the reason for dismissing the evidence against it.

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

   75%
2. B

   Causal Flaw7% picked this

   mistakes a correlation for a

   Morton does not mistake correlation for causation. There is no causal claim being established from a statistical pattern. Morton's argument is definitional and circular, not causal.

   7%
3. C

   Sampling2% picked this

   draws a highly general conclusion from evidence about

   This describes an over-generalization from a small sample, but Morton does not generalize from individual cases at all. Morton starts with a universal claim ("one must have a college degree") and dismisses individual counterexamples to it. The structure runs the opposite direction from what this answer describes.

   2%
4. D

   Bad Description12% picked this

   fails to consider the status of

   Morton does not fail to consider the alleged counterexamples — Morton explicitly addresses them, calling their success "only apparent." The problem is not that Morton ignored the counterexamples but that the reason Morton gives for dismissing them is circular. This answer mischaracterizes what Morton actually did.

   12%
5. E

   Inappropriate Appeals4% picked this

   bases its conclusion on the supposition that most people believe in

   This describes an appeal to popular belief — concluding something is true because most people believe it. Morton makes no reference to popular opinion or belief. The argument relies entirely on Morton's own restated definition of true success, not on what most people think.

   4%