Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Hard
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Since tiny organisms act like humans when they get hurt, and humans act that way because of pain, the tiny organisms must feel pain too.
Conclusion: All microscopic organisms are capable of feeling pain.
Reasoning: Amoebas share a specific avoidance behavior with humans, and since humans perform that behavior because of pain, microscopic organisms must also feel pain.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a flawed analogy and an over-generalization. It assumes that because two very different things (humans and amoebas) share an external behavior, they must share the same internal biological cause. To find a parallel flaw, look for an answer that attributes a complex human internal state to a non-human entity based solely on a superficial similarity in action. It also jumps from a single example (amoebas) to a massive category (all microscopic organisms), which is a classic logical leap to watch out for.
Conclusion: All microscopic organisms are capable of feeling pain.
Reasoning: Amoebas share a specific avoidance behavior with humans, and since humans perform that behavior because of pain, microscopic organisms must also feel pain.
Analysis: This argument suffers from a flawed analogy and an over-generalization. It assumes that because two very different things (humans and amoebas) share an external behavior, they must share the same internal biological cause. To find a parallel flaw, look for an answer that attributes a complex human internal state to a non-human entity based solely on a superficial similarity in action. It also jumps from a single example (amoebas) to a massive category (all microscopic organisms), which is a classic logical leap to watch out for.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage15.Which one of the following exhibits flawed reasoning most similar to that exhibited by the argument above?
Correct Answer
A
A: Mirrors both flaws: poets (like hypnotized people) share a behavior; hypnotized people do it due to lower inhibitions; then it leaps to a broader category (all artists) having that cause. This parallels the original’s cause-assumption and scope jump.
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