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805+ (Hard)|   Logical Flaw|      
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AshutoshB
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There are already more great artworks in the world t Updated on: 02 Sep 2018, 21:09
Originally posted by AshutoshB on 02 Sep 2018, 20:42.
Last edited by Bunuel on 02 Sep 2018, 21:09, edited 2 times in total.
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42% (02:10) correct 58% (02:07) wrong based on 519 sessions

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There are already more great artworks in the world than any human being could appreciate in a lifetime, works capable of satisfying virtually any taste imaginable. Thus, contemporary artists, all of whom believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could, are mistaken.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

A. overlooks the possibility that not all contemporary artists believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could

B. presumes, without providing justification, that most human beings are inclined to take the time to appreciate many great artworks

C. presumes, without providing justification, that the value of an artwork depends on the degree to which human beings appreciate it

D. overlooks the possibility that the work of at least one contemporary artist is appreciated by many people whose access to the great majority of other artworks is severely restricted

E. presumes, without providing justification, that the number and variety of great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork

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There are already more great artworks in the world t 02 Sep 2018, 20:44
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A. This answer contradicts the stimulus. The author clearly said all artists believe their work can help people find aesthetic fulfillment.

B. The author didn’t say that people will find aesthetic fulfillment. The author said they could.

C. The author never talked about what makes an artwork valuable.

D. CORRECT. This is enough to prove the argument wrong. The author said all artists are wrong. So even one artist who provides aesthetic fulfillment disproves the author. (The idea is that not everyone has access to great art, even if in theory there is more than enough art out there.)

E. This is the most tempting wrong answer. The author didn’t say that contemporary works can’t be fulfilling. Instead, the author said that contemporary works can’t increase the potential for fulfillment we already have. We’re already at our max potential for fulfillment due to the massive quantity of existing artworks.
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There are already more great artworks in the world t 09 Apr 2025, 00:43
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can any expert please help with this Q?

KarishmaB
MartyMurray
mikemcgarry
DmitryFarber

Thank you so much


How is the answer to this Q (D)?

people can appreciate an artwork and yet not be more aesthetically fulfilled by that contemporary artwork

appreciation is not the same as aesthetic fulfillment

on the other hand (E) exposes this flaw -

because the number & variety of artworks is assumed to affect the "amount of aesthetic fulfillment" of contemporary art

it can be that despite the number of artworks there is, contemporary art could still make people feel more aesthetically fulfilled than other artworks
2AshutoshB
There are already more great artworks in the world than any human being could appreciate in a lifetime, works capable of satisfying virtually any taste imaginable. Thus, contemporary artists, all of whom believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could, are mistaken.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

A. overlooks the possibility that not all contemporary artists believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could

B. presumes, without providing justification, that most human beings are inclined to take the time to appreciate many great artworks

C. presumes, without providing justification, that the value of an artwork depends on the degree to which human beings appreciate it

D. overlooks the possibility that the work of at least one contemporary artist is appreciated by many people whose access to the great majority of other artworks is severely restricted

E. presumes, without providing justification, that the number and variety of great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork

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There are already more great artworks in the world t 12 Apr 2025, 18:27
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Remember that we're not trying to prove the argument definitively correct, so the term mismatch between "appreciate" in the premise (and D) and "feel fulfilled" in the conclusion doesn't necessarily have to be addressed.

Choice D starts with "overlooks the possibility," so it is proposing a weakener. The argument relies on the single premise that there's already more work than we can appreciate. On this basis, it concludes that it's wrong for new artists to imagine that they are providing a lot of aesthetic fulfillment. Aside from the mismatch you mentioned, there's also the assumption that new art will get overlooked because of the large amount of existing art. D weakens this connection by suggesting that much of the older work is unavailable, AND that at least some new work is reaching an appreciative audience. If this is happening for at least one artist, that weakens the idea that new artists are sure to be drowned out by the old art.

Choice E, on the other hand, starts with "presumes." This means that it is proposing a necessary assumption. But this idea isn't necessary. If we negate this assumption--"The number and variety of great works DO NOT affect the amount of fulfillment derivable from any contemporary work"--the argument doesn't fail. It doesn't have to be that the amount of work out there makes new works less fulfilling. It's possible that new works are very fulfilling if we actually get to see them. It just needs to be that people aren't likely to engage with these works in the first place.
Quote:
can any expert please help with this Q?

KarishmaB
MartyMurray
mikemcgarry
DmitryFarber

Thank you so much


How is the answer to this Q (D)?

people can appreciate an artwork and yet not be more aesthetically fulfilled by that contemporary artwork

appreciation is not the same as aesthetic fulfillment

on the other hand (E) exposes this flaw -

because the number & variety of artworks is assumed to affect the "amount of aesthetic fulfillment" of contemporary art

it can be that despite the number of artworks there is, contemporary art could still make people feel more aesthetically fulfilled than other artworks
2AshutoshB
There are already more great artworks in the world than any human being could appreciate in a lifetime, works capable of satisfying virtually any taste imaginable. Thus, contemporary artists, all of whom believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could, are mistaken.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

A. overlooks the possibility that not all contemporary artists believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could

B. presumes, without providing justification, that most human beings are inclined to take the time to appreciate many great artworks

C. presumes, without providing justification, that the value of an artwork depends on the degree to which human beings appreciate it

D. overlooks the possibility that the work of at least one contemporary artist is appreciated by many people whose access to the great majority of other artworks is severely restricted

E. presumes, without providing justification, that the number and variety of great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork

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There are already more great artworks in the world t 13 Apr 2025, 00:07
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Hi DmitryFarber,
thanks for the detailed explanation!

I just wanted to point out that-
"The number and variety of great works DO NOT affect the amount of fulfillment derivable from any contemporary work"--the argument doesn't fail. It doesn't have to be that the amount of work out there makes new works less fulfilling. It's possible that new works are very fulfilling if we actually get to see them. It just needs to be that people aren't likely to engage with these works in the first place"

You are saying that the conclusion hinges on the assumption that because of the variety and number of artworks, people won't look at the contemporary art and therefore, if they won't look, they won't feel fulfilled from it

However, it is equally plausible to derive this assumption from the given argument - that even if people do look at the contemporary art, they still wouldn't feel more aesthetically fulfilled, why? Because the number and variety of art already present in the world is enough to fulfill all their aesthetic requirements, hence even if people look at the contemporary art, they won't be more fulfilled because all their needs are covered by the existing art (they won't be fulfilled from contemporary art not because they did not look at it, but because of the huge number of art present in the world to fulfill all their aesthetic needs, so even if they look at the contemporary art, they won't feel more fulfilled)

we can also say that as per the argument, if this huge variety and number of artwork did not exist, the author might feel that contemporary art could satisfy the aesthetic need because the present artworks are not enough to fulfill all of the aesthetic needs of human beings. But if we do have plenty of artwork capable of satisfying any aesthetic need, the author says contemporary art won't make one fulfilled. So the author is assuming that the number/variety of artwork determines aesthetic fulfillment an individual derives from contemporary art.

Logically, we can have infinite artwork in the world, yet a contemporary art could still make one feel more aesthetically fulfilled



DmitryFarber
Remember that we're not trying to prove the argument definitively correct, so the term mismatch between "appreciate" in the premise (and D) and "feel fulfilled" in the conclusion doesn't necessarily have to be addressed.

Choice D starts with "overlooks the possibility," so it is proposing a weakener. The argument relies on the single premise that there's already more work than we can appreciate. On this basis, it concludes that it's wrong for new artists to imagine that they are providing a lot of aesthetic fulfillment. Aside from the mismatch you mentioned, there's also the assumption that new art will get overlooked because of the large amount of existing art. D weakens this connection by suggesting that much of the older work is unavailable, AND that at least some new work is reaching an appreciative audience. If this is happening for at least one artist, that weakens the idea that new artists are sure to be drowned out by the old art.

Choice E, on the other hand, starts with "presumes." This means that it is proposing a necessary assumption. But this idea isn't necessary. If we negate this assumption--"The number and variety of great works DO NOT affect the amount of fulfillment derivable from any contemporary work"--the argument doesn't fail. It doesn't have to be that the amount of work out there makes new works less fulfilling. It's possible that new works are very fulfilling if we actually get to see them. It just needs to be that people aren't likely to engage with these works in the first place.
Quote:
can any expert please help with this Q?

KarishmaB
MartyMurray
mikemcgarry
DmitryFarber

Thank you so much


How is the answer to this Q (D)?

people can appreciate an artwork and yet not be more aesthetically fulfilled by that contemporary artwork

appreciation is not the same as aesthetic fulfillment

on the other hand (E) exposes this flaw -

because the number & variety of artworks is assumed to affect the "amount of aesthetic fulfillment" of contemporary art

it can be that despite the number of artworks there is, contemporary art could still make people feel more aesthetically fulfilled than other artworks
2AshutoshB
There are already more great artworks in the world than any human being could appreciate in a lifetime, works capable of satisfying virtually any taste imaginable. Thus, contemporary artists, all of whom believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could, are mistaken.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

A. overlooks the possibility that not all contemporary artists believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could

B. presumes, without providing justification, that most human beings are inclined to take the time to appreciate many great artworks

C. presumes, without providing justification, that the value of an artwork depends on the degree to which human beings appreciate it

D. overlooks the possibility that the work of at least one contemporary artist is appreciated by many people whose access to the great majority of other artworks is severely restricted

E. presumes, without providing justification, that the number and variety of great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork

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There are already more great artworks in the world t 16 Apr 2025, 02:14
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Sure, that makes sense. There is more than one way that the premises could lead to the given conclusion. That makes it hard to say that any one assumption the applies to one of these ways is truly necessary. Perhaps that's why they made the correct answer a weakener rather than an assumption. It avoids all that mess!
RiyaJ0032
Hi DmitryFarber,
thanks for the detailed explanation!

I just wanted to point out that-
"The number and variety of great works DO NOT affect the amount of fulfillment derivable from any contemporary work"--the argument doesn't fail. It doesn't have to be that the amount of work out there makes new works less fulfilling. It's possible that new works are very fulfilling if we actually get to see them. It just needs to be that people aren't likely to engage with these works in the first place"

You are saying that the conclusion hinges on the assumption that because of the variety and number of artworks, people won't look at the contemporary art and therefore, if they won't look, they won't feel fulfilled from it

However, it is equally plausible to derive this assumption from the given argument - that even if people do look at the contemporary art, they still wouldn't feel more aesthetically fulfilled, why? Because the number and variety of art already present in the world is enough to fulfill all their aesthetic requirements, hence even if people look at the contemporary art, they won't be more fulfilled because all their needs are covered by the existing art (they won't be fulfilled from contemporary art not because they did not look at it, but because of the huge number of art present in the world to fulfill all their aesthetic needs, so even if they look at the contemporary art, they won't feel more fulfilled)

we can also say that as per the argument, if this huge variety and number of artwork did not exist, the author might feel that contemporary art could satisfy the aesthetic need because the present artworks are not enough to fulfill all of the aesthetic needs of human beings. But if we do have plenty of artwork capable of satisfying any aesthetic need, the author says contemporary art won't make one fulfilled. So the author is assuming that the number/variety of artwork determines aesthetic fulfillment an individual derives from contemporary art.

Logically, we can have infinite artwork in the world, yet a contemporary art could still make one feel more aesthetically fulfilled



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There are already more great artworks in the world t 12 May 2025, 11:22
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Hi @DmitryFaber

Does this explanation make sense for choosing between D and E.
My reasoning is that the conclusion of the argument essentially states that contemporary art cannot offer fulfilment that cannot be achieved via existing art forms. D gives us a solid reason as to why fulfilment cannot be achieved by alternate means - they are not available. Hence, D is correct.
E on the other-hand just states that the level of fulfilment of other art forms affects contemporary art forms - even if this is true, even with that affect, it is still possible for contemporary art to offer more fulfilment than existing art forms.

Please let if know if this line of reasoning is correct.
Thanks in advance
DmitryFarber
Remember that we're not trying to prove the argument definitively correct, so the term mismatch between "appreciate" in the premise (and D) and "feel fulfilled" in the conclusion doesn't necessarily have to be addressed.

Choice D starts with "overlooks the possibility," so it is proposing a weakener. The argument relies on the single premise that there's already more work than we can appreciate. On this basis, it concludes that it's wrong for new artists to imagine that they are providing a lot of aesthetic fulfillment. Aside from the mismatch you mentioned, there's also the assumption that new art will get overlooked because of the large amount of existing art. D weakens this connection by suggesting that much of the older work is unavailable, AND that at least some new work is reaching an appreciative audience. If this is happening for at least one artist, that weakens the idea that new artists are sure to be drowned out by the old art.

Choice E, on the other hand, starts with "presumes." This means that it is proposing a necessary assumption. But this idea isn't necessary. If we negate this assumption--"The number and variety of great works DO NOT affect the amount of fulfillment derivable from any contemporary work"--the argument doesn't fail. It doesn't have to be that the amount of work out there makes new works less fulfilling. It's possible that new works are very fulfilling if we actually get to see them. It just needs to be that people aren't likely to engage with these works in the first place.
Quote:
can any expert please help with this Q?

KarishmaB
MartyMurray
mikemcgarry
DmitryFarber

Thank you so much


How is the answer to this Q (D)?

people can appreciate an artwork and yet not be more aesthetically fulfilled by that contemporary artwork

appreciation is not the same as aesthetic fulfillment

on the other hand (E) exposes this flaw -

because the number & variety of artworks is assumed to affect the "amount of aesthetic fulfillment" of contemporary art

it can be that despite the number of artworks there is, contemporary art could still make people feel more aesthetically fulfilled than other artworks
2AshutoshB
There are already more great artworks in the world than any human being could appreciate in a lifetime, works capable of satisfying virtually any taste imaginable. Thus, contemporary artists, all of whom believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could, are mistaken.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

A. overlooks the possibility that not all contemporary artists believe that their works enable many people to feel more aesthetically fulfilled than they otherwise could

B. presumes, without providing justification, that most human beings are inclined to take the time to appreciate many great artworks

C. presumes, without providing justification, that the value of an artwork depends on the degree to which human beings appreciate it

D. overlooks the possibility that the work of at least one contemporary artist is appreciated by many people whose access to the great majority of other artworks is severely restricted

E. presumes, without providing justification, that the number and variety of great artworks already in the world affects the amount of aesthetic fulfillment derivable from any contemporary artwork

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There are already more great artworks in the world t 17 May 2025, 19:00
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Vasavan

You have the idea, except that E is proposing an assumption. So we have to ask not "what if this were true?" but "what if this were false?" If the previous works DID NOT affect the fulfillment we get from contemporary works, would that ruin the argument? No, contemporary works could be of no use even if other works did not affect them. Therefore, E is not a necessary assumption of the argument.
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