Logical Reasoning

PT21 · S2 · Q3 A new medication for migraine seems

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A new medication for migraine seems effective, but there is concern that the medication might exacerbate heart disease.

Conclusion

The concern about the side effects of this new migraine medication (that it might exacerbate heart disease) is unfounded.

Evidence

If patients with heart disease take the meds under careful medical supervision, then harmful side effects can definitely be averted.

Evaluate

If we were to say, , what would be a fitting objection?

I would say,

Similarly, this argument is saying, .

And we would want to ask, careless" medical supervision from a busy doctor that doesn't notice the potential conflict between the migraine med and the heart disease, then the harmful side effects could definitely be a concern.

Goal

The author is assuming if there is a way to avoid the potential harm springing from some action/thing, then concern about that action/thing is unfounded".

The argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?

The new medication actually is
Too Strong: actually is effective
The author has only said that it seems effective, which means that she's persuaded that it probably works but isn't sure yet. Since the author isn't actually suggesting that anyone take this medication, she doesn't need to believe that it's effective. She's only trying to prove that the worry about taking it is unfounded.
8% picked this
Correct
No migraine sufferers with heart
Why this is right
The author is saying, "There's nothing to worry about. As long as we do X, we're chill." So he's assuming that we will do X. Since our author said, "These worries are unfounded. As long as we have them take this new med under careful medical supervision, we're chill." So he's assuming that the migraine patients who have heart disease will always be taking this med under careful medical supervision. If we negated this answer, we would be saying "some people who have migraines and heart disease are going to take this new medication without careful medical supervision". That would be an objection, because it would show that our worries are well-founded that this new medication could lead to harm.
Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
81% picked this
Most migraine sufferers who have
Too Strong: most
99% of the time when we see "most" in a Necessary Assumption answer, that answer is wrong. When you negate most, you go from thinking something occurs "at least 51% of the time" to thinking something occurs "at most 49% of the time". Big whoop. Does it make any difference whether 51% or 49% of the migraine sufferers in the new drug's clinical trial also had heart disease? Of course not. As long as there were enough migraine sufferers with heart disease in this trial that we can gauge the effect of the medication on heart disease, then that was plenty. It doesn't matter if it's only 10% of the people in the drug trial.
4% picked this
The new medication has various
Out of Scope: other side effects
The conclusion is saying "the concern about those side effects is unfounded", referring to the exacerbation of heart disease. Since the argument is only about those side effects, the author doesn't need to assume anything about the presence or relative severity of other side effects.
7% picked this
The new medication will displace
Too Strong: will displace all
The author certainly hasn't committed herself to this incredibly extreme claim that this new medication will corner the entire market, with every other migraine medication currently available being supplanted.
1% picked this

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