Question

A thorough search of Edgar Allan Poe's correspondence has turned up not a single letter in which he mentions his reputed morphine addiction. On the basis of this evidence it is safe to say that Poe's reputation for having been a morphine addict is undeserved and that reports of his supposed addiction are untrue.
Which of the following is assumed by the argument above?

• A. Reports claiming that Poe was addicted to morphine did not begin to circulate until after his death.
• B. None of the reports of Poe's supposed morphine addiction can be traced to individuals who actually knew Poe.
• C. Poe's income from writing would not have been sufficient to support a morphine addiction.
• D. Poe would have been unable to carry on an extensive correspondence while under the influence of morphine.
• E. Fear of the consequences would not have prevented Poe from indicating in his correspondence that he was addicted to morphine.

Hint:

To test if a statement is a necessary assumption, use the "Negation Test." Negate the statement and see if the original argument falls apart. If we negate (E), it says: "Fear of the consequences would have prevented Poe from mentioning his addiction." If this is true, then the fact he didn't mention it is no longer evidence he wasn't addicted, and the argument's conclusion no longer follows. Since negating (E) destroys the argument, (E) is a necessary assumption.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an assumption question. An assumption is an unstated premise that is necessary for the argument's conclusion to be valid. The argument's structure is:
\begin{itemize} \item Evidence: Poe never mentioned a morphine addiction in his letters. \item Conclusion: Therefore, Poe was not a morphine addict. \end{itemize} We need to find the hidden belief that connects this evidence to the conclusion.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The argument's logic depends on the idea that the absence of evidence in his letters is proof of absence in his life. This is a logical leap. What would make this leap valid? The author must believe that if Poe were an addict, he would have mentioned it in his letters. Let's analyze the options based on this.
\begin{itemize} \item (A) The timing of the reports is irrelevant to what Poe's letters contain or what they prove. The argument is about the truth of the addiction, not the history of the rumors. \item (B) This would be another piece of evidence supporting the conclusion, but it's not something the original argument (which relies only on the letters) needs to assume. \item (C) This, like (B), is an external piece of evidence. The argument makes no mention of Poe's finances, so it doesn't assume anything about them. \item (D) This presents an alternative argument. It suggests that the existence of the letters proves he wasn't an addict. The given argument is different; it relies on the content (or lack thereof) of the letters, not their mere existence. \item (E) This is the correct assumption. The argument's conclusion rests on the silence of the letters. This silence is only meaningful evidence if Poe would have felt free to write about his addiction if he had one. If, on the contrary, fear of consequences (social stigma, legal trouble, personal shame) would have prevented him from writing about it, then the letters' silence is meaningless, and the argument collapses. Therefore, to make the argument work, the author must assume that such fears were not a factor. \end{itemize} Step 3: Final Answer:
The argument assumes a direct and candid relationship between Poe's life and his correspondence. For the lack of mention to be proof, the author must assume there was no significant reason, such as fear, that would have caused Poe to omit such a fact from his letters. Option (E) states this necessary assumption perfectly.