Sufficient AssumptionDiff: Hardest
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Wedding vows promise lifelong love, but if love is just a feeling, you can't really promise it because you can't control how you feel. Therefore, the word 'love' in a wedding vow must mean something other than just a feeling.
Conclusion: The word 'love' in marital vows should not be interpreted as a feeling.
Reasoning: Promises are only meaningful if they concern things within a person's control, and because feelings cannot be controlled, a promise to feel love would be nonsensical.
Analysis: The ethicist assumes that marital vows must make sense. The logic follows that if 'love as a feeling' makes the vow nonsensical, then 'love' cannot be a feeling—but this only works if we assume the vows are intended to be sensible or valid in the first place. Look for an answer that bridges the gap by stating that marital vows should be interpreted in a way that makes them meaningful. It is a very logical take on romance, assuming that the people at the altar are prioritizing semantic consistency over poetic sentiment.
Conclusion: The word 'love' in marital vows should not be interpreted as a feeling.
Reasoning: Promises are only meaningful if they concern things within a person's control, and because feelings cannot be controlled, a promise to feel love would be nonsensical.
Analysis: The ethicist assumes that marital vows must make sense. The logic follows that if 'love as a feeling' makes the vow nonsensical, then 'love' cannot be a feeling—but this only works if we assume the vows are intended to be sensible or valid in the first place. Look for an answer that bridges the gap by stating that marital vows should be interpreted in a way that makes them meaningful. It is a very logical take on romance, assuming that the people at the altar are prioritizing semantic consistency over poetic sentiment.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage23.The ethicist's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
Correct Answer
D
D supplies the missing bridge: if promises should not be interpreted in a way that makes them make no sense, and the ‘feelings’ interpretation makes this promise make no sense, then we should not interpret ‘love’ here as feelings. The conclusion now follows logically.
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