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19 May 2026, 22:50
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Difficulty:
95%
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Question Stats:
35% (02:02) correct
65%
(02:21)
wrong
based on 142
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Professor Gandolf says that all political systems that aim at preventing conflict are legitimate. However, totalitarian political systems are usually good at preventing conflict, since those who are not in power are subject to the will of the powerful. But since all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate, Professor Gandolf's principle must be false.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
(A) At least one political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate.
(B) If a totalitarian political system prevents conflict, such prevention is only incidental to its true aims.
(C) At least one totalitarian political system aims at preventing conflict.
(D) No political system that fails to prevent conflict is legitimate.
(E) Some political systems that are not totalitarian are illegitimate.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
(A) At least one political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate.
(B) If a totalitarian political system prevents conflict, such prevention is only incidental to its true aims.
(C) At least one totalitarian political system aims at preventing conflict.
(D) No political system that fails to prevent conflict is legitimate.
(E) Some political systems that are not totalitarian are illegitimate.
20 May 2026, 05:00
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Professor Gandolf says that all political systems that aim at preventing conflict are legitimate. However, totalitarian political systems are usually good at preventing conflict, since those who are not in power are subject to the will of the powerful. But since all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate, Professor Gandolf's principle must be false.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
Professor Gandolf’s principle says that any political system that aims at preventing conflict is legitimate. To show that this principle is false, the argument needs a case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate. Since the argument uses totalitarian systems as that case, it must assume that at least one totalitarian system actually aims at preventing conflict, not merely that it happens to prevent conflict as a side effect.
(A) At least one political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate.
Wrong. This does not weaken or contradict Gandolf’s principle. His principle is about systems that do aim at preventing conflict.
(B) If a totalitarian political system prevents conflict, such prevention is only incidental to its true aims.
Wrong. This would hurt the argument. If totalitarian systems do not aim at preventing conflict, then they are not counterexamples to Gandolf’s principle.
(C) At least one totalitarian political system aims at preventing conflict.
Correct. The argument needs this assumption. Since all totalitarian systems are said to be illegitimate, one totalitarian system that aims at preventing conflict would be a counterexample to Gandolf’s principle.
(D) No political system that fails to prevent conflict is legitimate.
Wrong. The argument is not about systems that fail to prevent conflict.
(E) Some political systems that are not totalitarian are illegitimate.
Wrong. This is irrelevant. The argument uses totalitarian systems to challenge Gandolf’s principle.
Answer: (C)
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
Professor Gandolf’s principle says that any political system that aims at preventing conflict is legitimate. To show that this principle is false, the argument needs a case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate. Since the argument uses totalitarian systems as that case, it must assume that at least one totalitarian system actually aims at preventing conflict, not merely that it happens to prevent conflict as a side effect.
(A) At least one political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate.
Wrong. This does not weaken or contradict Gandolf’s principle. His principle is about systems that do aim at preventing conflict.
(B) If a totalitarian political system prevents conflict, such prevention is only incidental to its true aims.
Wrong. This would hurt the argument. If totalitarian systems do not aim at preventing conflict, then they are not counterexamples to Gandolf’s principle.
(C) At least one totalitarian political system aims at preventing conflict.
Correct. The argument needs this assumption. Since all totalitarian systems are said to be illegitimate, one totalitarian system that aims at preventing conflict would be a counterexample to Gandolf’s principle.
(D) No political system that fails to prevent conflict is legitimate.
Wrong. The argument is not about systems that fail to prevent conflict.
(E) Some political systems that are not totalitarian are illegitimate.
Wrong. This is irrelevant. The argument uses totalitarian systems to challenge Gandolf’s principle.
Answer: (C)
04 Jun 2026, 10:49
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OE for reference:
Overview: The argument begins with a statement of Gandolf's principle: all political systems that aim at preventing conflict are legitimate. Next it says that totalitarian systems are usually good at preventing conflict (and explains why this is so). It then says that all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate. The argument concludes that Gandolf's principle is false.
The question asks you to identify an assumption that the argument requires. In order to show that Gandolf's principle is false, the argument needs to establish at least one case of a political system that does aim at preventing conflict but is not legitimate.
The Correct Answer:
C As discussed in the "Overview," the argument needs to establish at least one case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate. One of the argument's premises is that totalitarian systems are not legitimate. However, the argument has not established that any totalitarian systems aim at preventing conflict, only that they usually happen to be good at preventing conflict. So in order to have at least one case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate, the argument needs to assume that at least one totalitarian system aims at preventing conflict.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A The argument does not need to assume (A). If (A) were false, that would mean that no political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate. This would not have implications for Gandolf's principle, which concerns only political systems that do aim at preventing conflict.
B (B) amounts to the statement that preventing conflict is not the true aim of any totalitarian system. But, as discussed in the explanation of "The Correct Answer," the argument needs to assume that at least one totalitarian system aims at preventing conflict. So (B) is the opposite of one thing that the argument needs to assume.
D The argument does not need to assume (D). (D) is an assumption about the legitimacy of political systems that fail to prevent conflict. As such, it could play no part in the argument against Gandolf's principle, which concerns political systems that aim at preventing conflict.
E The argument does not need to assume (E). If (E) is false, then only totalitarian political systems are illegitimate. This is consistent with the premise that all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate and with the rest of the argument against Gandolf's principle.
Overview: The argument begins with a statement of Gandolf's principle: all political systems that aim at preventing conflict are legitimate. Next it says that totalitarian systems are usually good at preventing conflict (and explains why this is so). It then says that all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate. The argument concludes that Gandolf's principle is false.
The question asks you to identify an assumption that the argument requires. In order to show that Gandolf's principle is false, the argument needs to establish at least one case of a political system that does aim at preventing conflict but is not legitimate.
The Correct Answer:
C As discussed in the "Overview," the argument needs to establish at least one case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate. One of the argument's premises is that totalitarian systems are not legitimate. However, the argument has not established that any totalitarian systems aim at preventing conflict, only that they usually happen to be good at preventing conflict. So in order to have at least one case of a political system that aims at preventing conflict but is not legitimate, the argument needs to assume that at least one totalitarian system aims at preventing conflict.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A The argument does not need to assume (A). If (A) were false, that would mean that no political system that does not aim at preventing conflict is legitimate. This would not have implications for Gandolf's principle, which concerns only political systems that do aim at preventing conflict.
B (B) amounts to the statement that preventing conflict is not the true aim of any totalitarian system. But, as discussed in the explanation of "The Correct Answer," the argument needs to assume that at least one totalitarian system aims at preventing conflict. So (B) is the opposite of one thing that the argument needs to assume.
D The argument does not need to assume (D). (D) is an assumption about the legitimacy of political systems that fail to prevent conflict. As such, it could play no part in the argument against Gandolf's principle, which concerns political systems that aim at preventing conflict.
E The argument does not need to assume (E). If (E) is false, then only totalitarian political systems are illegitimate. This is consistent with the premise that all totalitarian political systems are illegitimate and with the rest of the argument against Gandolf's principle.
