Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Bicycles failed at first but became popular later. Since technology only catches on when it matches what society cares about, the people in the 1860s must have had different values than the people in 1817.
Conclusion: A change in societal values must have occurred between 1817 and the 1860s.
Reasoning: Technology is only accepted if it aligns with values, and bicycles were accepted in the 1860s after being rejected earlier.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a classic 'necessary vs. sufficient' confusion. The author states that matching values is a requirement (necessary condition) for acceptance, but then treats it as the only possible reason (sufficient condition) for why acceptance changed. Perhaps the values stayed the same, but the bicycle technology itself improved or became cheaper. Look for an answer that points out the author ignores other possible explanations for why the bicycle became popular later.
Conclusion: A change in societal values must have occurred between 1817 and the 1860s.
Reasoning: Technology is only accepted if it aligns with values, and bicycles were accepted in the 1860s after being rejected earlier.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a classic 'necessary vs. sufficient' confusion. The author states that matching values is a requirement (necessary condition) for acceptance, but then treats it as the only possible reason (sufficient condition) for why acceptance changed. Perhaps the values stayed the same, but the bicycle technology itself improved or became cheaper. Look for an answer that points out the author ignores other possible explanations for why the bicycle became popular later.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage25.The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument
Correct Answer
E
The argument jumps from “acceptance requires value coherence” to “values must have changed” while ignoring other reasons for the initial failure (e.g., design, cost, safety). That’s exactly what E calls out: it ignores plausible alternative explanations for why bicycles weren’t accepted earlier.
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