Principle JustifyDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A rule says you only call out plagiarism if you think the student did it on purpose; the conclusion is that a specific professor shouldn't call out a specific student.
Conclusion: Professor Serfin should not officially determine that Walters committed plagiarism.
Reasoning: The principle states that such a determination requires the professor to believe the student knowingly presented others' ideas without attribution.
Analysis: The principle sets a necessary condition for a plagiarism charge: the professor must believe it was intentional. To reach the conclusion that the charge shouldn't happen, we need to show that this necessary condition wasn't met. Look for an answer that confirms Professor Serfin does not believe Walters acted knowingly. If the professor thinks it was an honest mistake, the rule forbids the official determination.
Conclusion: Professor Serfin should not officially determine that Walters committed plagiarism.
Reasoning: The principle states that such a determination requires the professor to believe the student knowingly presented others' ideas without attribution.
Analysis: The principle sets a necessary condition for a plagiarism charge: the professor must believe it was intentional. To reach the conclusion that the charge shouldn't happen, we need to show that this necessary condition wasn't met. Look for an answer that confirms Professor Serfin does not believe Walters acted knowingly. If the professor thinks it was an honest mistake, the rule forbids the official determination.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage25.Which one of the following, if true, justifies the above application of the principle?
Correct Answer
C
C affirms that Professor Serfin is convinced Walters did not knowingly try to pass off someone else’s ideas as his own. That directly denies the necessary condition in the principle. By the contrapositive, if Serfin does not hold that belief, he should not make an official determination of plagiarism—exactly the application’s conclusion.
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