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01 Feb 2020, 04:45
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
44% (02:31) correct
56%
(02:32)
wrong
based on 315
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Sabina: The words used in expressing facts affect neither the facts nor the conclusions those facts will support. Moreover, if the words are clearly defined and consistently used, the actual words chosen make no difference to an argument’s soundness. Thus, how an argument is expressed can have no bearing on whether it is a good argument.
Emile: Badly chosen words can make even the soundest argument a poor one. After all, many words have social and political connotations that influence people’s response to claims expressed in those words, regardless of how carefully and explicitly those words are defined. Since whether people will acknowledge a fact is affected by how the fact is expressed, the conclusions they actually draw are also affected.
The point at issue between Emile and Sabina is whether
(A) defining words in one way rather than another can alter either the facts or the conclusions the facts will justify
(B) a word can be defined without taking into account its social and political connotations
(C) a sound argument in support of a given conclusion is a better argument than any unsound argument for that same conclusion
(D) it would be a good policy to avoid using words that are likely to lead people either to misunderstand the claims being made or to reason badly about those claims
(E) a factor that affects neither the truth of an argument’s premises nor the logical relation between its premises and its conclusion can cause an argument to be a bad one
Emile: Badly chosen words can make even the soundest argument a poor one. After all, many words have social and political connotations that influence people’s response to claims expressed in those words, regardless of how carefully and explicitly those words are defined. Since whether people will acknowledge a fact is affected by how the fact is expressed, the conclusions they actually draw are also affected.
The point at issue between Emile and Sabina is whether
(A) defining words in one way rather than another can alter either the facts or the conclusions the facts will justify
(B) a word can be defined without taking into account its social and political connotations
(C) a sound argument in support of a given conclusion is a better argument than any unsound argument for that same conclusion
(D) it would be a good policy to avoid using words that are likely to lead people either to misunderstand the claims being made or to reason badly about those claims
(E) a factor that affects neither the truth of an argument’s premises nor the logical relation between its premises and its conclusion can cause an argument to be a bad one
16 Apr 2021, 03:45
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Bunuel
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
(A) No. Clearly, Emile would support this statement: “Badly chosen words can make even the soundest argument a poor one.” Also, Sabina would probably support this statement: “if the words are clearly defined and consistently used, the actual words chosen make no difference to an argument’s soundness.”
(B) No. Sabina certainly allows for a “minimalist” definition of words, in which a word carries only its precise definition. Emile also allows for precise definitions, independent of social or political connotations, but also believes that these connotations can affect people’s responses to the words. “Many words have social and political connotations that influence people’s response to claims expressed in those words, regardless of how carefully and explicitly those words are defined.”
(C) No. The dispute between Sabina and Emile is over the meanings of words used in an argument, not the structure of an argument.
(D) No. This goes a little beyond the scope of Sabina’s and Emile’s disagreement. They disagree whether the validity of an argument is affected by how it is expressed, not how one should express an argument.
(E) Yes. Sabina claims that “words used in expressing facts affect neither the facts nor the conclusions those facts will support.” In other words, how an argument is presented has no affect on its soundness. However, Emile claims just the opposite: “Badly chosen words can make even the soundest argument a
poor one… Since whether people will acknowledge a fact is affected by how the fact is expressed, the conclusions they actually draw are also affected.”
General Discussion
06 Feb 2020, 03:16
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Sabina says that words have no impact on the soundness of an argument. Emile says that badly chosen words can impact the soundness of an argument. So they disagree about whether a factor that affects neither the truth of an argument's premises nor the logical relation between its premises and its conclusion (ie: words) can cause an argument to be a bad one. Sabina would so "no, they don't," whereas Emile would say "yes, they do." So answer choice (E), while vague does represent a claim about which Sabina and Emile would disagree.
Let's look at the incorrect answers though...
(A) is not addressed by Emile. Sabina addresses this issue but doesn't suggest what happens if the words are not clearly defined. It's not the definitions necessarily according to Sabina that affect the soundness of the conclusion but rather the words. Emile, however, says that that definitions can affect how people respond to words, but does not address whether they affect either the facts or the conclusion based upon those facts.
(B) Emile would not necessarily disagree since she says that many words have connotations regardless of how they are defined. But that doesn't mean that all words carry such connotations. Sabina doesn't address the issue.
(C) is not something that either Sabina or Emile address directly, but is probably something they would both agree with.
(D) is not addressed by either Sabina or Emile. Neither prescribes a course of action based on whether an argument's soundness can be affected by words.
Let's look at the incorrect answers though...
(A) is not addressed by Emile. Sabina addresses this issue but doesn't suggest what happens if the words are not clearly defined. It's not the definitions necessarily according to Sabina that affect the soundness of the conclusion but rather the words. Emile, however, says that that definitions can affect how people respond to words, but does not address whether they affect either the facts or the conclusion based upon those facts.
(B) Emile would not necessarily disagree since she says that many words have connotations regardless of how they are defined. But that doesn't mean that all words carry such connotations. Sabina doesn't address the issue.
(C) is not something that either Sabina or Emile address directly, but is probably something they would both agree with.
(D) is not addressed by either Sabina or Emile. Neither prescribes a course of action based on whether an argument's soundness can be affected by words.
