Many scholars believe that official medieval persecutions of various

Question

Many scholars believe that official medieval persecutions of various minority groups were undertaken very reluctantly by medieval authorities and only in order to soothe popular unrest caused by underlying popular hostility to the groups in question. This belief is highly questionable. For one thing, there are few indications of any profound underlying popular hostility toward persecuted groups in cases where persecutions were particularly violent and sustained. For another, the most serious and widespread persecutions carried out by medieval authorities seem to have had as targets exactly those groups that most effectively disputed these authorities' right to govern.

The argument proceeds by

(A) referring to the large numbers of scholarly adherents of a certain view to support the claim that the view is correct

(B) providing reasons to suspect the reliability of any conclusions based on evidence concerning the distant past

(C) attempting to make a particular comparison seem absurd by adducing evidence that suggests that the events compared share only traits that are irrelevant to the claim the comparison is intended to support

(D) citing both a lack of evidence supporting a particular explanation and further evidence that suggests an alternative explanation

(E) establishing a general principle and using the principle to justify a conclusion about a particular category of cases

AdarshSambare · Answer

Prethinking: Author is attacking a belief by showing  lack of evidence for it + giving alternative reason for persecutions .
Check options:
(A) Not about number of scholars → irrelevant
(B) Not about reliability of history in general → too broad
(C) No comparison made → wrong
(D) Matches exactly:  no evidence for popular hostility + alternative explanation (political threat to authorities) 
(E) No general principle used → wrong
Answer:  (D)

guddo · Answer

Many scholars believe that official medieval persecutions of various minority groups were undertaken very reluctantly by medieval authorities and only in order to soothe popular unrest caused by underlying popular hostility to the groups in question. This belief is highly questionable. For one thing, there are few indications of any profound underlying popular hostility toward persecuted groups in cases where persecutions were particularly violent and sustained. For another, the most serious and widespread persecutions carried out by medieval authorities seem to have had as targets exactly those groups that most effectively disputed these authorities' right to govern.
 
 The argument proceeds by

The argument challenges the scholars’ explanation that medieval authorities persecuted minority groups mainly to calm popular hostility. It does so in two ways: first, it says there is little evidence of such popular hostility in the worst cases; second, it suggests another explanation, namely that authorities targeted groups that challenged their power.  So the argument uses both absence of support and an alternative explanation .

(A) referring to the large numbers of scholarly adherents of a certain view to support the claim that the view is correct

Wrong. The argument does not use the number of scholars as support. It challenges the scholars’ view.

(B) providing reasons to suspect the reliability of any conclusions based on evidence concerning the distant past

Wrong. The argument does not say historical evidence generally is unreliable. It uses historical evidence to make its point.

(C) attempting to make a particular comparison seem absurd by adducing evidence that suggests that the events compared share only traits that are irrelevant to the claim the comparison is intended to support

Wrong. There is no central comparison being attacked in this way.

(D) citing both a lack of evidence supporting a particular explanation and further evidence that suggests an alternative explanation

Correct. The lack of evidence is the lack of signs of deep popular hostility. The alternative explanation is that authorities persecuted groups that  challenged their right to govern .

(E) establishing a general principle and using the principle to justify a conclusion about a particular category of cases

Wrong. The argument does not establish a general rule and then apply it. It directly evaluates a specific historical explanation.

Answer: (D)

yc168 · Answer

OE for reference:

Overview:  
The argument's conclusion is that a certain explanation for medieval authorities' persecution of minority groups is "highly questionable." The explanation that the argument challenges is that "official persecutions of various minority groups were undertaken very reluctantly by medieval authorities and only in order to soothe popular unrest caused by underlying popular hostility to the groups in question." Two points are presented in support of this challenge.

To answer this question, you have to decide which of the answer choices best describes how the argument goes.

The Correct Answer:

D  The first point that the argument makes in support of its challenge to the scholars' explanation is that there is inadequate evidence that the popular hostility presupposed by the scholars' explanation actually existed. The second point in support of the challenge suggests an alternative to that explanation by providing evidence for a motive that would account for the persecutions on different grounds. Thus, (D) is a good description of the way the argument proceeds.

The Incorrect Answer Choices:

A  The argument says that many scholars hold a certain view. However, the point of the argument is not to show that this view is correct, but to show that it is questionable. (A), therefore, does not describe how the argument proceeds.

B  The argument concludes that a certain explanation concerning events in the distant past—the Middle Ages—is "highly questionable." It bases that conclusion on evidence it presents concerning that same period. Thus, contrary to (B), the argument proceeds by treating conclusions based on such evidence as reliable.

C  The argument does not mention, let alone criticize, any "particular comparison" between events. So (C) is not a good description of how the argument proceeds.

E  The argument challenges a certain historical explanation by presenting two pieces of evidence against it. No effort is made to establish any general principle, nor is any general principle appealed to in order to justify any conclusion. (E), therefore, does not describe how the argument proceeds.

Many scholars believe that official medieval persecutions of various

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Many scholars believe that official medieval persecutions of various

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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