Editorialist: In all cultures, it is almost universally acce

Question

Editorialist: In all cultures, it is almost universally accepted that one has a moral duty to prevent members of one’s family from being harmed. Thus, few would deny that if a person is known by the person’s parents to be falsely accused of a crime, it would be morally right for the parents to hide the accused from the police. Hence, it is also likely to be widely accepted that it is sometimes morally right to obstruct the police in their work.

The reasoning in the editorialist’s argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that this argument

(A) utilizes a single type of example for the purpose of justifying a broad generalization
(B) fails to consider the possibility that other moral principles would be widely recognized as overriding any obligation to protect a family member from harm
(C) presumes, without providing justification, that allowing the police to arrest an innocent person assists rather than obstructs justice
(D) takes for granted that there is no moral obligation to obey the law
(E) takes for granted that the parents mentioned in the example are not mistaken about their child’s innocence

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KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

It is almost universally accepted that one has a moral duty to prevent members of one’s family from being harmed. 
So few would deny that if a person is known by the person’s parents to be falsely accused of a crime, it would be morally right for the parents to hide the accused from the police.

Conclusion: It is also likely to be widely accepted that it is sometimes morally right to obstruct the police in their work.

What can weaken the argument?

(A) utilizes a single type of example for the purpose of justifying a broad generalization

The author doesn't generalise. She gives an example and says " ...it is  sometimes  morally right ..." If it is right in one case, it is sometimes morally right.

(B) fails to consider the possibility that other moral principles would be widely recognised as overriding any obligation to protect a family member from harm

Correct. The author neglects to consider that another moral principle (say obeying the law) could override obligation to protect a family member. If it did override, then we cannot conclude that it is sometimes morally right to obstruct the police. 
To conclude what she does, the author does need to establish that protecting the family is a higher moral principle than obeying the law.

(C) presumes, without providing justification, that allowing the police to arrest an innocent person assists rather than obstructs justice

The author does not talk about justice at all. Irrelevant.

(D) takes for granted that there is no moral obligation to obey the law

She doesn't take for granted that there is no moral obligation to obey the law. She takes for granted that the moral obligation to protect family ranks higher than the moral obligation to obey the law, if there is one. Saying that there is a moral obligation to obey the law too is not enough. It needs to be clarified which one supersedes the other. 
Hence, (B) is better suited. It tells us that she fails to consider that other moral obligations could override family protection obligation.

(E) takes for granted that the parents mentioned in the example are not mistaken about their child’s innocence

The argument says that the parents know that the child is falsely accused. It is given in the argument and hence needs to be taken to be true.

Answer (B)

arushi118 · Answer

The argument assumes that the duty to protect family always overrides other moral duties—especially the duty to uphold justice, truth, or the social order.
The editorialist never considers this possibility. That’s exactly what B points out. Hence B is the answer.

Editorialist: In all cultures, it is almost universally acce

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