Essayist: Computers have the capacity to represent and to

Question

Essayist: Computers have the capacity to represent and to perform logical transformations on pieces of information. Since exactly the same applies to the human mind, the human mind is a type of computer.

The flawed pattern of reasoning in which one of the following most closely resembles the flawed pattern of reasoning in the essayist’s argument?

(A) Often individual animals sacrifice their lives when the survival of their offspring or close relatives is threatened. It is probable, therefore, that there is a biological basis for the fact that
human beings are similarly often willing to sacrifice their own well-being for the good of their community.

(B) In the plastic arts, such as sculpture or painting, no work can depend for its effectiveness upon a verbal narrative that explains it. Since the same can be said of poetry, we cannot consider
this characteristic as a reasonable criterion for distinguishing the plastic arts from other arts.

(C) In any organism, the proper functioning of each component depends upon the proper functioning of every other component. Thus, communities belong to the category of organisms, since
communities are invariably characterized by this same interdependence of components.

(D) Some vitamins require the presence in adequate amounts of some mineral in order to be fully beneficial to the body. Thus, since selenium is needed to make vitamin E fully active, anyone
with a selenium deficiency will have a greater risk of contracting those diseases from which vitamin E provides some measure of protection.

(E) Friendship often involves obligations whose fulfillment can be painful or burdensome. The same can be said of various forms of cooperation that cannot strictly be called friendship. Thus cooperation, like friendship, can require that priority be given to goals other than mere self-interest.

Maverick_Indian · Answer

Here similarity between computer & humans is presented.
So, in answer choices you need to find out the similar pattern.

nicechetan87 · Answer

Comparison showcased is in the actions of non living thing and humans.
Similar comparison is presented in non living (community) and humans in option C.

So answer is C.

PrashantPonde · Answer

Nice work Maverick & Nicechetan!

prasun9 · Answer

I went with C but not because of the reason that it compares Humans with non living things. GMAT problems are usually much deeper than that and answer choices don't jump out like that. If we analyze the pattern in the question stem it says

A displays characteristics X & Y. Since B displays the same characteristics so B is a type of A.
Among the answer choices  C  seems to show this same pattern. 
But if Friendship was characterized as a type of cooperation then even that could have been a viable option.

manpritsp · Answer

Can someone throw some more light on option d

prasun9 · Answer

The pattern in the question stem says: If X has characteristic Y and A has same characteristic then A is the same Type or in the same category as X.
Option  C  clearly has the same pattern. But option  D  never makes this sort of claim it just has a generalization flaw.

EliLTG · Answer

Good explanation!

More generally, choice (D) can be thrown out from the very first word. The prompt talks about computers-- all  computers, a general statement. As soon as choice (D) begins talking about "some"  anything , we know it does not follow parallel reasoning to the prompt.

Hope this helps!

Temurkhon · Answer

Reasoning assumption:

Making the same functions guarantee the same category

C fits

mvictor · Answer

went with C as well..tough one...
so if A follows X, and B follows X, then A is similar to B.
only C fits this pattern.
although i took some time to reject B and E...

nightblade354 · Answer

Bumping for further discussion

masakiyada · Answer

I just wanted to share my train of thought to arrive at C…

First, I checked the question type: the flawed reasoning pattern. Ok, alright.

As I read the stem, I wrinkled my eyebrows. I did so mainly because of the bit “since exactly the same applies to…”. “Exactly the same? Wow, that’s strong wording." And the statement is, I felt, definitely not right. If anything, many of us, including myself, especially I, often perform ILLOGICAL transformation on pieces of information, not logical transformation.

After reading the stem, I mumbled the following initial analysis and repeated like a mantra as I went ahead and filtered the list of answer choices.

(1) Analogising two inherently different things by (2) unduly (3) focusing on one aspect…

I used those three criteria to funnel the list and saw only C as a remaining contender.

biancanancy · Answer

Although I marked C, I found B a tempting choice. Can someone explain why it's not B?

VerbalBot · Answer

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Essayist: Computers have the capacity to represent and to

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