The attitude that it is all right to do what harms no one but oneself

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The passage presents a view that harming oneself can harm other people as well. This answer presents a situation that illustrates how harming oneself through an avoidable accident or illness can create a cost for everyone else. Thus, the answer choice of A supports the passage.

B is incorrect. Support for the view expressed consists in showing that harm to oneself also harms others. This answer choice gives an example of a way that harm to one person can benefit others, and thus the choice weakens the passage.

The third answer choice is incorrect. This statement does not support the view that harming oneself can harm others. Rather, this choice addresses another issue that might be involved in deciding whether persons should risk harm-namely, how pleasurable the activities involved in taking such risks might be. Thus, the answer choice is neutral with respect to the implicit argument in the passage. D is also an incorrect answer choice. Support for the view expressed consists in showing that harm to oneself also harms others. The fourth choice implies that two persons might be the same in degree of health and yet differ in their contribution to the community. This claim is neutral with respect to the issue of whether a decline in a person’s health would leave that person’s contribution to the community unaffected. The last answer choice is incorrect. This statement does not support argue against the passage’s view that harming oneself can harm others. Rather, this statement only describes different ways of harming oneself.