Necessary AssumptionDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: To be a tragedy, a story needs a noble hero. Since people today don't believe in fate anymore, the author says we can't write real tragedies.
Conclusion: It is currently impossible for a modern literary work to be a true tragedy.
Reasoning: Tragedy requires a protagonist with nobility, and in our current era, we no longer believe that human actions are controlled by fate.
Analysis: The argument contains a significant logical gap: it never explains why a belief in fate is necessary for a protagonist to have nobility. The author concludes that because we lack a belief in fate, we cannot have tragedy, but the only stated requirement for tragedy is nobility. Therefore, the author must be assuming that nobility cannot exist (or be recognized) without a belief in fate. Look for an answer that connects these two disparate concepts.
Conclusion: It is currently impossible for a modern literary work to be a true tragedy.
Reasoning: Tragedy requires a protagonist with nobility, and in our current era, we no longer believe that human actions are controlled by fate.
Analysis: The argument contains a significant logical gap: it never explains why a belief in fate is necessary for a protagonist to have nobility. The author concludes that because we lack a belief in fate, we cannot have tragedy, but the only stated requirement for tragedy is nobility. Therefore, the author must be assuming that nobility cannot exist (or be recognized) without a belief in fate. Look for an answer that connects these two disparate concepts.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage17.Which one of the following is an assumption required by the critic's argument?
Correct Answer
D
D directly supplies the missing link: if someone’s endeavors are not regarded as governed by fate, they will not be seen as possessing nobility. Combined with the premise that tragedy requires protagonists to be seen as noble, and with the fact that our age doesn’t take fate seriously, the conclusion that contemporary tragedies are impossible follows. Negation test: if people whose endeavors aren’t regarded as governed by fate could still be seen as noble, then contemporary protagonists could be seen as noble, and tragedies could still occur—destroying the argument.
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