Last visit was: 24 Apr 2024, 11:17 It is currently 24 Apr 2024, 11:17

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
SORT BY:
Date
Tags:
Show Tags
Hide Tags
User avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 135
Own Kudos [?]: 267 [33]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
User avatar
Director
Director
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 547
Own Kudos [?]: 298 [2]
Given Kudos: 8
Location: Oxford
Schools:Oxford'10
 Q49  V37
Send PM
User avatar
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 06 Jan 2008
Posts: 297
Own Kudos [?]: 4317 [4]
Given Kudos: 2
Send PM
User avatar
Director
Director
Joined: 25 Aug 2007
Posts: 520
Own Kudos [?]: 5422 [2]
Given Kudos: 40
WE 1: 3.5 yrs IT
WE 2: 2.5 yrs Retail chain
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
2
Kudos
IMO A.

A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praiseworthy only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them. Yet this same moral system also holds that performing good actions out of habit is sometimes praiseworthy.

In premise1, we have: overcome powerful teptxn >>>> praiseworthy only then
In premise2: performing actions as a habit >>>> sometimes praiseworthy.

From premise2, what I understood is that actions are moral but praiseworthy sometimes not always. We dont have a comparison in the stimulus. Just a aparadox.

So, E is incorrect.


vd wrote:
A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praiseworthy only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them. Yet this same moral system also holds that performing good actions out of habit is sometimes praiseworthy.

Which one of the following, if true, does the most to reconcile the apparent conflict in the moral system described above?

(A) People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation.
(B) Most people face strong moral temptation from time to time but few people have to endure it regularly.
(C) People virtually always perform actions they think are good, regardless of what other people may think.
(D) Since it is difficult to tell what is going on in another person’s mind, it is often hard to know exactly how strongly a person is tempted.
(E) It is far more common for people to perform good actions out of habit than for them to do so against strong temptation.

avatar
Manager
Manager
Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Posts: 76
Own Kudos [?]: 7 [1]
Given Kudos: 0
Concentration: Finance/Consulting
Schools:UCI R1- admit w/ $$$, Cornell R3, McCombs R2- admitted, Kelley R3 - admitted, USC R1-waitlist
GPA: 3.7
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
1
Kudos
the moral holds that overcomin powerful temptation is a must for good actions to be praiseworthy.

if habitual good action is praiseworthy, then there must be a connection between habitual good action and overcoming temptation.

only A implies that relationship.
User avatar
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 21 Dec 2009
Posts: 337
Own Kudos [?]: 2443 [1]
Given Kudos: 20
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Finance
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
1
Kudos
I went for option A since the precondition for praiseworthy is doing good after
overcoming a powerful temptation.
(i) overcome a powerful temptation => (ii) do good => (iii) praiseworthy
In A, the precondition for praiseworthy had been set. Then, doing good (ii) could
sometimes call for praiseworthy (iii)

B does eliminate stage (ii)- doing good. It only talks of people who resist temptation
either on a frequent or infrequent basis -who cares? So, B is out.
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 26 Nov 2009
Status:Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. It's a dare. Impossible is nothing.
Affiliations: University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Posts: 470
Own Kudos [?]: 2377 [1]
Given Kudos: 36
Location: Singapore
Concentration: General Management, Finance
Schools: Chicago Booth - Class of 2015
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
1
Kudos
A and E so damn close.

Only if people who overcome temptation -> perform good actions that are praiseworthy
Only (X) -> Y

How can some good actions be sometimes praiseworthy?

Overcoming temptation is essential to argument to be praiseworthy.
Between A and E

E says that it is common for people to do good actions without overcoming temptation. >> They can do good actions but X is not satisfied. It cannot be Y (praiseworthy)

First look A doesnt resolve sometimes?
(A) People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation. >> I think it means all didn't do X. Only some people resist temptation, all dont.

Finally A.
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 04 May 2010
Affiliations: NCC,SAE,YHIA
Posts: 22
Own Kudos [?]: 31 [0]
Given Kudos: 2
Location: Mumbai , India
Concentration: International Business
GPA: -
WE 1: 3 years international sales & mktg-projects
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praiseworthy only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them. Yet this same moral system also holds that performing good actions out of habit is sometimes praiseworthy.
P1-Moral system ->Actions Praiseworthy->ONLY -> overcoming temptation
P2-Same system ->Actions Praiseworthy->SOMETIMES -> out of habit.

(A) People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation.
Considers complete set of people performing good actions out of habit. That means whosoever performs good actions out of habit does it against temptation, therefore ,
according to P1 everyone shall be worthy of praise, not true as per P2.
(B) Most people face strong moral temptation from time to time but few people have to endure it regularly.
According to moral system , an action is considered praiseworthy only if it overcomes powerful temptation.
Most people face strong moral temptation sometimes, reason why their actions are not always considered praiseworthy.
Few face it regularly-> whenever they perform good action it is against powerful temptation, hence agrees with P1 and are considered praiseworthy.

(C) People virtually always perform actions they think are good, regardless of what other people may think.
Stimulus focuses on Moral system and not on individual opinion.
(D) Since it is difficult to tell what is going on in another person’s mind, it is often hard to know exactly how
strongly a person is tempted.
Same as C , stimulus does not depend on whats going in other person's mind.
(E) It is far more common for people to perform good actions out of habit than for them to do so against strong temptation.
May be true but paradox is regarding the praise bestowed for the actions and not on frequency with which they are performed.

IMO B :wink:
Manager
Manager
Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Posts: 134
Own Kudos [?]: 121 [0]
Given Kudos: 6
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
A for me.

"People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation."--Thus every time an habitual do-gooder is praised, the praise is both retroactively worthy since the do-gooder has overcome temptations in the past.

And this reconciles the seeming contradiction.

Cheers
Intern
Intern
Joined: 28 Oct 2012
Posts: 20
Own Kudos [?]: 149 [3]
Given Kudos: 51
Concentration: Technology, Real Estate
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
3
Kudos
Attachment:
Screen Shot 2014-05-09 at 9.16.15 pm.png
Screen Shot 2014-05-09 at 9.16.15 pm.png [ 18.11 KiB | Viewed 7992 times ]
User avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 13 Jun 2016
Posts: 16
Own Kudos [?]: 12 [1]
Given Kudos: 47
GMAT 1: 780 Q50 V48
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
1
Kudos
A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praiseworthy only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them. Yet this same moral system also holds that performing good actions out of habit is sometimes praiseworthy.

Which one of the following, if true, does the most to reconcile the apparent conflict in the moral system described above?

(A) People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation.
(B) Most people face strong moral temptation from time to time but few people have to endure it regularly.
(C) People virtually always perform actions they think are good, regardless of what other people may think.
(D) Since it is difficult to tell what is going on in another person’s mind, it is often hard to know exactly how strongly a person is tempted.
(E) It is far more common for people to perform good actions out of habit than for them to do so against strong


In the end i had to choose between A or B
I Choose A

Why not B ?
Because B only talks about facing temptations, whereas we have no clue whether these people who are facing temptations are actualy doing some good or not.

Why A?
Because of the word "only"
As his good actions are praiseworthy only when he faces temptations
Board of Directors
Joined: 18 Jul 2015
Status:Emory Goizueta Alum
Posts: 3600
Own Kudos [?]: 5425 [0]
Given Kudos: 346
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
Expert Reply
Adyy96 wrote:
A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praiseworthy only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them. Yet this same moral system also holds that performing good actions out of habit is sometimes praiseworthy.

Which one of the following, if true, does the most to reconcile the apparent conflict in the moral system described above?

(A) People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation.
(B) Most people face strong moral temptation from time to time but few people have to endure it regularly.
(C) People virtually always perform actions they think are good, regardless of what other people may think.
(D) Since it is difficult to tell what is going on in another person’s mind, it is often hard to know exactly how strongly a person is tempted.
(E) It is far more common for people to perform good actions out of habit than for them to do so against strong


In the end i had to choose between A or B
I Choose A

Why not B ?
Because B only talks about facing temptations, whereas we have no clue whether these people who are facing temptations are actualy doing some good or not.

Why A?
Because of the word "only"
As his good actions are praiseworthy only when he faces temptations


Per the question, moral system would consider performing good actions praiseworthy in two cases :
1) Only when one overcomes a powerful temptation in order to perform them
2) Sometimes, performing good actions out of habit.

It means it is considering the habitual actions have some link with the temptation. only A provides support to this point. While B does talk about temptation , it is not telling anything about habit that why Habitual actions are also considered sometimes.
Intern
Intern
Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Posts: 25
Own Kudos [?]: 14 [0]
Given Kudos: 26
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
MS praiseworthy —> if done by overcoming temptation
MS praiseworthy -> if done out of habit

How to connect “overcoming temptation” and “habit”?

A helps resolve the paradox


Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum mobile app
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 17213
Own Kudos [?]: 848 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
GMAT Club Bot
Re: A certain moral system holds that performing good actions is praisewor [#permalink]
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6919 posts
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
238 posts
CR Forum Moderator
832 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne