Flawed ReasoningDiff: Hard
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Since a free market is the only way to be 100% sure you'll get the best economic results, any country not using a free market isn't doing what is most likely to get those results.
Conclusion: A country with a controlled economy that isn't transitioning to a free market is failing to take the path most likely to maximize utility.
Reasoning: A pure free market is the only system that guarantees maximum utility, even though other systems might occasionally reach it.
Analysis: The author makes a logical slip by confusing a 'guarantee' with a 'probability.' Just because a free market is the only system that *assures* (guarantees) a certain outcome does not mean it is the most *likely* to produce that outcome in every specific circumstance. A controlled economy might have a 90% chance of success, which is very 'likely,' even if it isn't a 100% 'guarantee.' The argument fails to prove that the lack of a guarantee equates to a low probability of success.
Conclusion: A country with a controlled economy that isn't transitioning to a free market is failing to take the path most likely to maximize utility.
Reasoning: A pure free market is the only system that guarantees maximum utility, even though other systems might occasionally reach it.
Analysis: The author makes a logical slip by confusing a 'guarantee' with a 'probability.' Just because a free market is the only system that *assures* (guarantees) a certain outcome does not mean it is the most *likely* to produce that outcome in every specific circumstance. A controlled economy might have a 90% chance of success, which is very 'likely,' even if it isn't a 100% 'guarantee.' The argument fails to prove that the lack of a guarantee equates to a low probability of success.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage23.The editorial's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
Correct Answer
D
D is correct. The argument presumes that trying to bring about a condition that ensures the goal (pure free market ensures maximum utility) must be the way most likely to achieve that goal, ignoring that trying to create that condition could have a low chance of success relative to other methods.
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