Logical Reasoning

PT23 · S3 · Q25 The end of an action is the intended

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The end of an action is the intended outcome of the action and not a mere by-product of the action, and the end’s value is thus the only reason for the action.

Conclusion

Nothing will justify a means except an end's value.

Intermediate Conclusion

The end's value is the only reason for an action.

Premise

The end of an action is the intended outcome, not some accidental by-product, of the action.

Evaluate

The easiest way for me to find the conclusion (I don't know that I really understand this argument well, but I can still locate its parts), is to rely on the keywords sprinkled throughout.

The first sentence goes, Claim 1, and thus Claim2.

So we know that Claim 1 supports Claim 2. Claim 1 → Claim 2

The fact that the next sentence begins with So tells us that the first sentence supports the next claim. So we know that

Claim 1 → Claim 2 → Claim 3

Claim 3 takes a while to get to its main clause, beacuse the author is hemming and hawing with qualifiers.

So, while it is true that Concession A and even, perhaps, Concession B, it is clear that Main Conclusion.

Goal

We just want to pick an answer that gives a meaning match for the final claim: Nothing will justify a means except an end's value.

25.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

  1. The value of some ends

    Concession

    The author mentions in passing that there may or may not be an end that justifies all means, but she doesn't commit to either position or attempt to defend it.

    7% picked this

  2. One can always justify a

    Contradicted

    The author makes a couple concessions which are basically saying that some ends (intended outcomes) aren't important enough to justify any action, and there might not actually be any end that is important enough to justify any action.

    4% picked this

  3. Correct

    One can justify an action

    Why this is right

    This is a meaning match for the last claim. To make this harder to match up, they swapped out interchangeable concepts ("end's value" with "intended outcome's value"). In the first sentence, they define an end as "the intended outcome" of an action. So concluding that "nothing will justify a means except an end's value" is equivalent to saying "nothing will justify a means except the value of the action's intended outcome".

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

    49% picked this

  4. Only the value of the

    Contradicted

    The author brings up by-products briefly, to cast them aside from the conversation at hand. When we're talking ends, we're NOT talking about by-products, we're talking about intended outcomes. The conclusion is about ends, so it is definitely NOT about the by-products of an action.

    5% picked this

  5. Nothing can justify the intended

    Means ? Intended Outcome

    This starts off trying to match the Conclusion, but instead of "nothing will justify a means except ..." it says "nothing will justify the intended outcome except" "the means" is the method by which you try to achieve something. "the end" is the something you're trying to achieve. Intended Outcome = the end of an action Intended Outcome ? the method you use (the means) So this answer is basically saying that the conclusion is "Nothing can justify the end of an action except the end's value."

    34% picked this

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