Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: There is a rule that says you shouldn't judge someone else for a habit if you don't judge yourself for it or try to quit. Based on this, the argument claims Shimada shouldn't judge McFeney's lateness if Shimada hasn't promised to stop being late himself.

Conclusion: Shimada should refrain from criticizing McFeney for being late.

Reasoning: A general principle states that one should not criticize others for a behavior if they neither criticize that behavior in themselves nor vow to stop it.

Analysis: This is a Principle Justify question where we need to bridge the gap between a general rule and a specific application. The principle requires two conditions to be met before you lose the right to criticize: you don't criticize yourself AND you don't vow to stop. The application only tells us Shimada hasn't vowed to stop. To make the logic work, we need to ensure the other half of the condition is met—namely, that Shimada doesn't criticize his own lateness. It's the classic 'glass houses' logic, but we need to make sure both windows are actually made of glass before we tell Shimada to put down the stone.

Passage Stimulus

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21.

Which one of the following, if true, justifies the above application of the principle?

Correct Answer
A
A states that Shimada criticizes McFeney’s tardiness without criticizing his own. If, in addition, he does not vow to stop, then both parts of the antecedent of the principle are met (no self-criticism and no vow), so by the principle he should not criticize McFeney. This directly supplies the missing piece needed to justify the application.
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