Question

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which of the following grounds?

• A. It simply doesn’t take into account the existence of potential counter-premise.
• B. It generalizes from one of its kind occurrences.
• C. It presumes what it seeks to establish.
• D. It depends on the judgment of specialists in a matter where their specialty is irrelevant.
• E. It infers limits on ability from a few standalone lapses in performance.

Hint:

Be cautious of arguments that draw broad conclusions from isolated examples or small amounts of evidence.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Analyze the argument.
The argument suggests that Cary’s ability to write quality poems is limited because the few poems that are superior must have been plagiarized. This is an argument based on a few isolated instances to infer a general conclusion about Cary’s abilities.
Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (A) It simply doesn’t take into account the existence of potential counter-premise: The argument does not ignore counter-premises, but rather generalizes from specific instances.
- (B) It generalizes from one of its kind occurrences: This is a close option, but the argument generalizes from a few instances, not just one.
- (C) It presumes what it seeks to establish: This is not accurate because the argument does not presuppose the conclusion but rather makes an inference based on observed behavior.
- (D) It depends on the judgment of specialists in a matter where their specialty is irrelevant: This does not apply because the argument does not rely on experts or their judgments.
- (E) It infers limits on ability from a few standalone lapses in performance: Correct. The argument makes an unwarranted conclusion based on a few instances of success, assuming they must be plagiarized.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (E), as it most accurately describes the flaw in the reasoning of the argument.