Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Just because the media is allowed to print a non-libelous story doesn't mean they must print it, but the author thinks they do.
Conclusion: The press is required to publish any non-libelous story about a private individual because such stories are of public interest.
Reasoning: The press possesses the legal right to publish any non-libelous story that interests the public.
Analysis: This argument makes a massive leap from 'having a right' (permission) to 'having an obligation' (duty). Just because I have the right to eat a whole cake doesn't mean I'm obligated to do so—thankfully for my health. The flaw lies in assuming that the existence of a right to act necessitates the performance of that act. Look for an answer choice that highlights this confusion between what is permissible and what is mandatory.
Conclusion: The press is required to publish any non-libelous story about a private individual because such stories are of public interest.
Reasoning: The press possesses the legal right to publish any non-libelous story that interests the public.
Analysis: This argument makes a massive leap from 'having a right' (permission) to 'having an obligation' (duty). Just because I have the right to eat a whole cake doesn't mean I'm obligated to do so—thankfully for my health. The flaw lies in assuming that the existence of a right to act necessitates the performance of that act. Look for an answer choice that highlights this confusion between what is permissible and what is mandatory.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage12.The argument's reasoning is vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument presumes, without giving warrant, that
Correct Answer
B
The author presumes, without support, that having a right to do something entails having an obligation to do it. That’s exactly the move from “may publish” to “must publish.”
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