Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Hardest
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: The author claims that because many weak people are cowards, and most cowards are also fools, there has to be some overlap where a person is both weak and foolish.
Conclusion: There must be at least one individual who is both a weakling and a fool.
Reasoning: A significant number of weaklings are cowards, and the vast majority of cowards are also fools.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a classic 'some + most' flaw in formal logic. Just because Group A (weaklings) overlaps with Group B (cowards), and Group B overlaps heavily with Group C (fools), it does not guarantee that Group A and Group C ever meet. You could have a hundred cowards where the ten weaklings are in one corner and the ninety fools are in the other. To find the parallel, look for an answer choice that takes two groups that both overlap with a middle group and incorrectly concludes that the two outer groups must therefore overlap with each other.
Conclusion: There must be at least one individual who is both a weakling and a fool.
Reasoning: A significant number of weaklings are cowards, and the vast majority of cowards are also fools.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a classic 'some + most' flaw in formal logic. Just because Group A (weaklings) overlaps with Group B (cowards), and Group B overlaps heavily with Group C (fools), it does not guarantee that Group A and Group C ever meet. You could have a hundred cowards where the ten weaklings are in one corner and the ninety fools are in the other. To find the parallel, look for an answer choice that takes two groups that both overlap with a middle group and incorrectly concludes that the two outer groups must therefore overlap with each other.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage21.The flawed pattern of reasoning in the argument above is most similar to that in which one of the following?
Correct Answer
C
C matches the flaw. From some painters are musicians and some musicians are dancers, it concludes some painters are dancers. That repeats the same illicit middle-term move with insufficient quantification to ensure overlap.
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