Bunuel wrote:
Economist: A symptom of the incipient decline of a society is its inability to produce what its own citizens regard as necessary for a reasonably prosperous life. But when corporations in a given society extend their manufacturing operations to other countries, this is because of the greater profitability of producing the goods abroad, not because of any incapacity to produce the goods at home. Clearly, then, a society whose businesses enthusiastically embrace the outsourcing of its manufacturing operations is not beginning to decline.
The economist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of the following grounds?
A. It assumes that the mere absence of one of the symptoms of social decline indicates that social decline is not occurring.
B. It fails to consider that what citizens consider necessary for a reasonably prosperous life differs from one country to another.
C. It takes for granted that the profits of overseas manufacturing operations are returned to the home country.
D. It assumes that a society within which many manufacturing operations cannot be performed profitably can still prosper economically.
E. It overlooks the possibility that economic factors are the principal contributors to the flourishing or decline of a society.
Conclusion of the argument : A society whose businesses enthusiastically embrace the outsourcing of its manufacturing operations is not beginning to decline.
The passage starts by introducing the symptoms of the decline of society. The author then introduces the idea of offshoring and states that corporations in a given society extend their manufacturing operations to other countries to obtain greater profitability by producing the goods abroad, not because of any incapacity to produce the goods at home.
The author thus concludes that such societies are not beginning to decline.
We have to find a flaw in the argument -
A. It assumes that the mere absence of one of the symptoms of social decline indicates that social decline is not occurring.This is an inherent flaw in the conclusion that "
a society whose businesses enthusiastically embrace the outsourcing of its manufacturing operations is not beginning to decline". The author just takes one aspect of society to reach a general conclusion of the society. In arriving at his conclusion the author has ignored other aspects which may be applicable to such societies and the presence of those aspects could indicate that social decline is occurring. Hence, we can keep this option.
B. It fails to consider that what citizens consider necessary for a reasonably prosperous life differs from one country to another.This doesn't affect the conclusion of the author. The author concludes that social decline is not occurring merely because of the fact that businesses enthusiastically embrace the outsourcing of their manufacturing operations. The statement presented in Option B is not in line with the conclusion, hence doesn't present a flaw in the author's conclusion.
C. It takes for granted that the profits of overseas manufacturing operations are returned to the home country.We have to find a flaw in the author's reasoning. This statement is out of scope and doesn't present a flaw. We can eliminate Option C.
D. It assumes that a society within which many manufacturing operations cannot be performed profitably can still prosper economically.The information presented by this statement is not indicated in the argument. We are not presented with information related to the economic prosperity of the society and if citizens perceive economic prosperity as a necessity for a reasonably prosperous life. We can eliminate D.
E. It overlooks the possibility that economic factors are the principal contributors to the flourishing or decline of a society.Similar to option D. We are not presented with information related to the economic prosperity of the society and if citizens perceive the economic prosperity of the society as a necessity for a reasonably prosperous life. Eliminate E.
Option A