Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: A physicist argues that because we aren't smart or capable enough to measure everything in the universe perfectly, the idea that every event is caused by a previous one must be wrong.

Conclusion: The theory of determinism is incorrect.

Reasoning: It is impossible to accurately measure the position and velocity of subatomic particles, meaning we can never fully know the state of the universe at any given time.

Analysis: The physicist is confusing our knowledge of reality with reality itself. Just because we lack the tools or the ability to measure every particle doesn't mean those particles don't have determined paths or causes. This is a classic 'epistemic' flaw—assuming that because we can't prove or observe something, it must not be true. Look for an answer that points out this confusion between what is knowable and what is actually true.

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20.

The physicist's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

Correct Answer
D
It pinpoints the epistemic-to-ontic confusion: from “we cannot know the complete state” the physicist wrongly infers something about the nonexistence or falsity of a complete state/determinism.
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