Filmmaker: Many people feel that independent films have more integrity

Question

Filmmaker: Many people feel that independent films have more integrity as works of art than films produced by major studios, since independent films are typically less conventional than major studio films. However, like major studios, all independent filmmakers need to make profits on their films, and this affects the artistic decisions made in creating most independent films. Thus, most independent films do not have absolute integrity as works of art.

The filmmaker's conclusion is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed?

(A) A creation has absolute integrity as a work of art if the artistic decisions made in creating it were unaffected by the need to make profits.

(B) If any of the artistic decisions made in creating something were affected by the need to make profits, then that creation does not have absolute integrity as a work of art.

(C) The creations of individuals have more integrity as works of art, on average, than those of groups.

(D) The unconventionality of a creation has no bearing on its integrity as a work of art.

(E) A creation has no integrity as a work of art unless the artistic decisions made in creating it were unaffected by views about what is conventional.

guddo · Answer

Filmmaker: Many people feel that independent films have more integrity as works of art than films produced by major studios, since independent films are typically less conventional than major studio films. However, like major studios, all independent filmmakers need to make profits on their films, and this affects the artistic decisions made in creating most independent films. Thus, most independent films do not have absolute integrity as works of art. 
 
The filmmaker's conclusion is properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed?

The argument says profit concerns affect the artistic decisions made in creating most independent films. From that, it concludes that most independent films do not have absolute integrity as works of art.  The missing link is that profit-influenced artistic decisions rule out absolute artistic integrity .

(A) A creation has absolute integrity as a work of art if the artistic decisions made in creating it were unaffected by the need to make profits.

This is the wrong direction. It says unaffected by profit is enough for absolute integrity. But the argument needs the reverse idea: affected by profit means no absolute integrity.

(B) If any of the artistic decisions made in creating something were affected by the need to make profits, then that creation does not have absolute integrity as a work of art.

This is correct. The argument says profit affects the artistic decisions in most independent films. If any such profit influence prevents absolute integrity, then the conclusion follows.

(C) The creations of individuals have more integrity as works of art, on average, than those of groups.

This is irrelevant. The argument is not about individuals versus groups.

(D) The unconventionality of a creation has no bearing on its integrity as a work of art.

This is not required. Even if unconventionality has some bearing on integrity, profit influence could still prevent absolute integrity.

(E) A creation has no integrity as a work of art unless the artistic decisions made in creating it were unaffected by views about what is conventional.

This concerns views about what is conventional, not the need to make profits.

Answer: (B)

vanquisher · Answer

isnt statement A and B are logically same?

yc168 · Answer

does not equal to  .

That's called the "mistaken negation".

vanquisher · Answer

from where i can learn these type of concepts

yc168 · Answer

In the GMAT Official Guide, either the Main OG or the Verbal Review Guide, there is a Verbal Review chapter. They cover basic concepts of conditional reasoning.

If you'd like a deeper coverage, PowerScore GMAT CR Bible (or the LSAT LR Bible) has a good chapter on conditional reasoning.

egmat · Answer

Hi vanquisher,

Great question, and it's a classic CR trap.  A and B look identical, but they're actually mirror images that say different things.  Let me line them up in plain "if-then" form.

Write both as conditionals:

-  (A):   unaffected  by the need for profit →  has  absolute integrity.
-  (B):   affected  by the need for profit → does  not  have absolute integrity.

Notice that (B) is not a restatement of (A) - it flips  both  halves. In logic these are  inverses  of each other, and an inverse is  not  logically equivalent to the original. Knowing what makes something  have  integrity (A) does not tell you what makes something  lack  it.

Why this matters for the argument: the premise tells us profit  did affect  the decisions in most independent films. To reach the conclusion "they lack absolute integrity," you need a rule that starts from  affected  and lands on  no integrity . That's exactly  (B) . Choice (A) starts from  unaffected , so it never fires here - trying to use it would be denying the antecedent.

A quick everyday version to feel the gap:

- Statement A-style: "If you  don't  eat junk food, you're healthy."
- Statement B-style: "If you  do  eat junk food, you're  not  healthy."

These clearly aren't the same claim. The A-version tells you nothing about a junk-food eater - they might be unhealthy, might not. Only the B-version lets you conclude "this junk-food eater is unhealthy."

Since our premise is the "did eat junk food" case (profit  did  affect the films), only  (B)  delivers the conclusion.

Answer: B

Filmmaker: Many people feel that independent films have more integrity

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

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