Editorial: It has been suggested that private, for-profit companies sh

Question

Editorial: It has been suggested that private, for-profit companies should be hired to supply clean drinking water to areas of the world where it is unavailable now. But water should not be supplied by private companies. After all, clean water is essential for human health, and the purpose of a private company is to produce profit, not to promote health.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, would most help to justify the reasoning in the editorial?

(A) A private company should not be allowed to supply a commodity that is essential to human health unless that commodity is also supplied by a government agency.

(B) If something is essential for human health and private companies are unwilling or unable to supply it, then it should be supplied by a government agency.

(C) Drinking water should never be supplied by an organization that is not able to consistently supply clean, safe water.

(D) The mere fact that something actually promotes human health is not sufficient to show that its purpose is to promote health.

(E) If something is necessary for human health, then it should be provided by an organization whose primary purpose is the promotion of health.

akashjai · Answer

This is a Support/ Strengthen type of CR.
The Argument states that For-Profit companies should provide drinking water. However, the author refutes this as the sole purpose of For-Profit companies is to make profit and they would not do anything that would promote health but not result in profits.
To support the argument we need something that might provide an alternate source to promote health or provide a reasoning why the For-Profit companies will not let go of profit to promote health.

(A) A private company should not be allowed to supply a commodity that is essential to human health unless that commodity is also supplied by a government agency.
 Does not support authors conclusion in any way even though it provides an alternative solution. 
(B) If something is essential for human health and private companies are unwilling or unable to supply it, then it should be supplied by a government agency.
 Does not support authors conclusion in any way even though it provides an alternative solution. 
(C) Drinking water should never be supplied by an organization that is not able to consistently supply clean, safe water.
 Irrelevant 
(D) The mere fact that something actually promotes human health is not sufficient to show that its purpose is to promote health.
 Irrelevant 
(E) If something is necessary for human health, then it should be provided by an organization whose primary purpose is the promotion of health.
 Correct as this option perfectly provides an alternative option that would provide water.

Sweety99 · Answer

I choose Option B as correct answer

KaranB1 · Answer

Sweety99

Right approach to solve such problem would be to

1) Identify the conclusion
2) Figure out what author is assuming to reach that conclusion
3) Eliminating all the relevant answer choices and find an answer choice that support the author's assumption.

Now, let apply the above approach to solve the question at hand.

1) Conclusion- Water should not be supplied by private companies.
2) Assumption- If purpose of a company is to produce profit and not promote health then that company should not supply water.
3) POE- All the answer choices are irrelevant expect answer choice E, which certainly strengthens the assumption.

Let me know in case of a doubt.

RohitSaluja · Answer

Hi  Sweety99 , from the question stem, we do not know anything about abilities of private company in regards to supply of water. To select option B we would have to make an assumption that private companies would be unable to supply water, so we have to be careful with that, even if you are not sure whether B can be eliminated or not, be a little conservative and go through rest of option, you will find it way easier to eliminate B, after understanding E.

I hope this helps.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Editorial: It has been suggested that private, for-profit companies sh

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