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07 May 2011, 17:45
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C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
85%
(hard)
Question Stats:
49% (01:57) correct
51%
(01:59)
wrong
based on 845
sessions
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Psychotherapy has been described as a form of moral coercion. However, when people are coerced, their ability to make choices is restricted, and the goal of psychotherapy is to enhance people’s ability to make choices. Hence, psychotherapy cannot possibly be a form of coercion.
Which one of the following describes a flaw in the argument?
(A) The position being argued against is redefined unfairly in order to make it an easier target.
(B) Psychotherapy is unfairly criticized for having a single goal, rather than having many complex goals.
(C) No allowance is made for the fact that the practice or results of psychotherapy might run counter to its goals.
(D) The goals of psychotherapy are taken to justify any means that are used to achieve those goals.
(E) It offers no argument to show that moral coercion is always undesirable.
Which one of the following describes a flaw in the argument?
(A) The position being argued against is redefined unfairly in order to make it an easier target.
(B) Psychotherapy is unfairly criticized for having a single goal, rather than having many complex goals.
(C) No allowance is made for the fact that the practice or results of psychotherapy might run counter to its goals.
(D) The goals of psychotherapy are taken to justify any means that are used to achieve those goals.
(E) It offers no argument to show that moral coercion is always undesirable.
08 May 2011, 20:04
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This is a hard one. The central argument seems to be that because coercion is not the intent of psychotherapy, there's no way that it can end up being coercive. Almost as if the very intention not to contribute to a harm negates any potential for that harm. To me the central argument is flawed because even with the best intentions a goal can become subverted -- eg, communism was supposed to be "rule by the workers" even though it almost always turned out to be just another form of autocracy against the working class, just this time (and ironically) justified through the name of that very class (yeah, perhaps it's not a clean analogy, maybe even a bit too strong, but I just can't think of anything else at 11pm).
Based on that, the best answer for me is C -- it most closely fits my communism analogy: although intending to do the opposite of coercion, psychotherapy might end up simply being a form of that with the biases and approaches of the therapist, inherently subjective in and of themselves given the nature of the field. A doesn't really apply because negation isn't necessarily redefinition. B doesn't apply because the goals aren't the issue here; rather, the way the goals are reached definitely is. D doesn't apply because the argument is negating the harm, not justifying it any way (even if the result is definitely "ends justify means" in a sense). E doesn't apply because negation really has nothing to do with how worthy / unworthy coercion is.
If there's any hole in my reasoning, I welcome comments. As I can benefit from it too.
(Thanks in advance.)
Based on that, the best answer for me is C -- it most closely fits my communism analogy: although intending to do the opposite of coercion, psychotherapy might end up simply being a form of that with the biases and approaches of the therapist, inherently subjective in and of themselves given the nature of the field. A doesn't really apply because negation isn't necessarily redefinition. B doesn't apply because the goals aren't the issue here; rather, the way the goals are reached definitely is. D doesn't apply because the argument is negating the harm, not justifying it any way (even if the result is definitely "ends justify means" in a sense). E doesn't apply because negation really has nothing to do with how worthy / unworthy coercion is.
If there's any hole in my reasoning, I welcome comments. As I can benefit from it too.
(Thanks in advance.)
fanatico
08 May 2011, 22:34
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B and E are POE.
Among A,C and D - nothing has been redefined. POE A,No means has been discussed here,hence POE D.
C is a weak choice, yet the best one among the lot.
Among A,C and D - nothing has been redefined. POE A,No means has been discussed here,hence POE D.
C is a weak choice, yet the best one among the lot.
