Flawed ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A historian claims a new book about fishing is inaccurate. The author defends the book by saying the writer is consistent with her past work and the book is currently a bestseller.
Conclusion: The historian's criticism regarding the book's inaccuracy is based on a mistake.
Reasoning: The author of the book used the same research methods as in her previous popular books, and the current book is selling well in local stores.
Analysis: This argument is a classic example of a 'red herring' flaw where the evidence provided doesn't actually address the claim. The historian is attacking the book's accuracy, but the author defends it using popularity and consistency. Look for an answer that points out that being popular or using consistent methods does not guarantee that the content is factually correct. It is quite possible to consistently use the same flawed methods to produce a very popular, yet entirely inaccurate, book.
Conclusion: The historian's criticism regarding the book's inaccuracy is based on a mistake.
Reasoning: The author of the book used the same research methods as in her previous popular books, and the current book is selling well in local stores.
Analysis: This argument is a classic example of a 'red herring' flaw where the evidence provided doesn't actually address the claim. The historian is attacking the book's accuracy, but the author defends it using popularity and consistency. Look for an answer that points out that being popular or using consistent methods does not guarantee that the content is factually correct. It is quite possible to consistently use the same flawed methods to produce a very popular, yet entirely inaccurate, book.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.The reasoning above is flawed in that it
Correct Answer
C
C correctly identifies the flaw: the argument assumes that the popularity of a book is evidence of its accuracy, which is exactly how it tries to dismiss Jaaks’s criticism.
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