Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: The author claims that because one specific part of a belief system is proven false, the entire core idea must also be a lie.

Conclusion: The belief that extraterrestrials exist is false.

Reasoning: Believing in extraterrestrials requires a belief in UFOs, and since the existence of UFOs has been disproven, the underlying belief in extraterrestrials must also be wrong.

Analysis: The flaw here is a confusion between the truth of a claim and the truth of a specific reason for that claim. Just because one justification for a belief (UFOs) is debunked, it doesn't mean the belief itself (aliens) is necessarily false. To find a parallel, look for an argument that dismisses a conclusion entirely just because one associated premise or prerequisite has been shown to be incorrect.

Passage Stimulus

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16.

Which one of the following arguments contains flawed reasoning most similar to that in the argument above?

Correct Answer
A
A has the same flawed pattern: If Bel(unicorns) → Bel(centaurs). No centaurs exist; therefore no unicorns exist. It inappropriately infers nonexistence of X from nonexistence of Y using only a belief-implication link.
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