A university should not be entitled

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: the only1% picked this

   Universities are the only institutions that have an obligation to guarantee

   This is a classic "only thing mentioned = only thing" trap answer. Universities were the only entity mentioned whose obliged to guarantee intellectual freedom, but that doesn't mean the author is assuming they're the only entity to which that description applies. When we say "black lives matter" we're not assuming "those are the only type of lives that matter".

   1%
2. B

   Too Strong: most3% picked this

   Most inventions by university faculty members would be profitable

   The word "most" is famously wrong on Necessary Assumption 98% of the time we see it. Who cares if 49% vs. 51% of inventions are profitable? This argument wouldn't be harmed at all by the 49% number.

   3%
3. C

   Too Strong9% picked this

   Publication of reports on research is the only practical way to disseminate information

   Too Strong: the only Out of Scope: publication of reports The argument never discusses publication of reports on research, nor does it ever make an extreme assumption that there's only one way to disseminate info about new discoveries.

   9%
4. D

   Correct76% picked this

   Universities that have a motive to suppress information concerning discoveries by their faculty members will occasionally

   Why this is right

   If we negate this, it's saying universities who have a motive to suppress information will never act on that motive. That helps us argue that universities SHOULD get patent rights to their faculty's inventions. The author might object, "but the university will have a motive to suppress information and hinder the free flow of ideas", and this answer's negation would respond, "Yeah, they'll have a motive. But they'll never act on that motive. They never will actually suppress information about a valuable discovery." Sally may have a motive to kill her husband, once he named her the beneficiary of his life insurance policy, but that doesn't mean she'll ever act on that motive.

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

   76%
5. E

   Too Strong11% picked this

   If the inventions of a university faculty member are not patented by that university, then they will be patented

   The author doesn't have to believe that in every single case that a university doesn't patent an invention, the faculty member will. If there are times where nobody patents the invention or some third party does, that wouldn't hurt the argument in any way.

   11%