Question

Though the Great Fakir is a well-respected illusionist and escape artist, he has recently become outspokenly critical of the performance act of the Magnificent Mystic, calling it largely staged and fake. The Magnificent Mystic's stage act involves a "Buried Alive" set-piece, wherein he appears to be placed in a coffin which is then wrapped in chains, and lowered into a make-shift grave, only to reappear from the side of the stage after several minutes. The Great Fakir criticized the Magnificent Mystic's act in an editorial as "an obvious form of mechanical trickery," but the Great Fakir's own world-famous performance act uses mechanical devices such as boxes, ladders, and glass panes to create his own stage illusions, which have helped him become the world's most popular touring magician.
The argument's reasoning is most open to criticism on the basis that it:

• A. attacks the morality of the Magnificent Mystic's stage act rather than its efficacy.
• B. implies popularity lends credibility.
• C. undermines the credentials of the Great Fakir.
• D. differentiates between types of mechanical trickery.
• E. suggests that there is no difference between the two magicians' acts.

Hint:

When evaluating criticisms, ensure that the critic's argument is consistent and does not contradict their own practices.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Analyzing the flaw in the argument.
The Great Fakir criticizes the Magnificent Mystic's act as a form of "mechanical trickery," but his own act also uses mechanical devices to create illusions. The flaw in his reasoning is that he dismisses the Mystic's act without acknowledging that his own act relies on similar techniques.

Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (A) The criticism is about the technique used in the act (mechanical trickery), not the morality.
- (B) While popularity is mentioned, the core issue is the inconsistency in criticizing the Mystic's act while using similar methods.
- (C) There is no attack on the credentials of the Great Fakir; the criticism is on the technique of the Mystic's act.
- (D) The argument does not focus on differentiating types of mechanical trickery; it's about the inconsistency in their methods.
- (E) The main flaw is that the Great Fakir suggests there is a difference between his act and the Mystic's act when they both rely on similar mechanical devices.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (E) because the Great Fakir's criticism overlooks the fact that his own act uses similar techniques.