PrincipleDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: It's wrong to blame scientists for not doing something that literally cannot be done with today's tools.
Conclusion: The magazine editorial's criticism of psychologists is unfair.
Reasoning: Psychologists are being criticized for failing to perform a task that is currently impossible due to technological limitations.
Analysis: This argument relies on the principle that 'ought implies can'—you cannot fairly criticize someone for failing to do something that is impossible to achieve. The structure is straightforward: an expectation is set, but a physical or technological barrier makes that expectation unreasonable. To find the matching principle, look for a scenario where a person or group is excused from blame because the required action was outside of their control or capability.
Conclusion: The magazine editorial's criticism of psychologists is unfair.
Reasoning: Psychologists are being criticized for failing to perform a task that is currently impossible due to technological limitations.
Analysis: This argument relies on the principle that 'ought implies can'—you cannot fairly criticize someone for failing to do something that is impossible to achieve. The structure is straightforward: an expectation is set, but a physical or technological barrier makes that expectation unreasonable. To find the matching principle, look for a scenario where a person or group is excused from blame because the required action was outside of their control or capability.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.Which one of the following most closely conforms to the principle to which the reasoning in the passage conforms?
Correct Answer
B
B mirrors the principle: utility companies are criticized for not using nuclear fusion, but there is no way to harness fusion to deliver sufficient power, so criticism is unfair because the demanded action is currently impossible.
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