Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people say

Question

Smith : Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people say. After all, most doctors do eat meat, and who knows more about health than doctors do?

Which one of the following is a flaw in Smith‟s reasoning?

(A) Attacking the opponents‟ motives instead of their argument

(B) Generalizing on the basis of a sample consisting of a typical cases

(C) Assuming at the outset what the argument claims to establish through reasoning

(D) Appealing to authority, even when different authorities give conflicting advice about an issue

(E) Taking for granted that experts do not act counter to what, according to their expertise, in their best interest

veteranrookie · Answer

OA is (e) ?

Cause the author says that 'Doctors also eat meat'.

So he is trying to say that if I suggest something, (in this case the doctor) I too will follow the same thing.
If the doctor eats meat, it means that he is only following what he tells and suggests other people as healthy. Which is what the author is using to corroborate his statement.

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Harsh2111s · Answer

I didn't understood option E.

Need help.

AndrewN · Answer

Hello again,  Harsh2111s . There is a missing word in (E) that makes it harder to understand if you are not a native English speaker. The amended response should read:

This answer indicates that the argument  assumes  that experts will not act in a way that goes against their better judgment, based on what their training or expertise has taught them to be true. Put simply, a doctor is held up as a paragon of health, since doctors are trained to be experts in matters of good health. The argument is flawed because it does not take into account that  most doctors  might eat meat  despite  knowing that it is or could be unhealthy to consume.

I hope that helps clarify the issue. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask.

- Andrew

SafSin28 · Answer

Smith: Despite what some people say, Meat is Health. Because, most doctors eat meat and they know more about health.

D) Appealing authority, (If doctors do X, then X is true). Only this choice makes a sense.

E) 'Experts do not act against their best interest'. How do we know that doctors' best interest? How do we know that their best interest is right? So, E is OUT!

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siddhantvarma · Answer

sindor2001  Let me take a shot at this.

First, let's identify Smith's argument structure:
Conclusion: Meat in the diet is healthy
Premise 1: Most doctors eat meat
Premise 2: Doctors know the most about health

Here's some pre-thinking that tells me what's  probably  wrong with this reasoning:
Smith is assuming that because doctors (authorities on health) eat meat, meat must be healthy
The argument relies on doctors' personal behavior rather than medical evidence or research
It assumes doctors always act according to what they know is the healthiest. What if doctors in general enjoy meat? What if some people are allergic to meat and doctors actually recommend them to not eat meat?

With that in mind, let's evaluate each option:

A) Attacking motives - No, Smith isn't attacking anyone's motives

B) Atypical sample - No, doctors aren't being presented as an atypical sample

C) Circular reasoning - No, the conclusion isn't assumed in the premises

D) Appeal to authority - No, there's no mention of conflicting advice from different authorities

E) Taking for granted that experts don't act counter to their expertise - YES!

This is the core flaw in Smith's reasoning. Just because doctors know about health doesn't mean they always make the healthiest choices. Experts often act in ways that contradict their professional knowledge (e.g., doctors who smoke)

Therefore, E is the correct answer.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people say

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people say

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