Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Because ancient cultures started telling stories about scary horse-men right when they started riding horses more, the author concludes they were secretly afraid of horses.
Conclusion: The mythical half-human, half-horse creatures reflect an unconscious fear of horses.
Reasoning: These myths appeared as horse use increased, the creatures were depicted as violent, and myths are known to express unconscious thoughts.
Analysis: The argument suffers from a significant logical gap by assuming that a 'violent' depiction in a myth must stem specifically from 'fear.' There are many reasons a culture might create a violent mythical figure—perhaps to represent power, status, or even a specific deity—that have nothing to do with being afraid of the actual animal. Look for an answer that identifies this leap from the nature of the myth to the specific psychological cause. The author treats a possible explanation as the only certain explanation.
Conclusion: The mythical half-human, half-horse creatures reflect an unconscious fear of horses.
Reasoning: These myths appeared as horse use increased, the creatures were depicted as violent, and myths are known to express unconscious thoughts.
Analysis: The argument suffers from a significant logical gap by assuming that a 'violent' depiction in a myth must stem specifically from 'fear.' There are many reasons a culture might create a violent mythical figure—perhaps to represent power, status, or even a specific deity—that have nothing to do with being afraid of the actual animal. Look for an answer that identifies this leap from the nature of the myth to the specific psychological cause. The author treats a possible explanation as the only certain explanation.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument
Correct Answer
A
Correct. The argument never shows that the half-horse, half-human actually represents the horse in people’s minds. Without that link, concluding an unconscious fear of horses is unwarranted; the creature could symbolize something else.
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