Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Since your personality is based on your DNA and your DNA doesn't change, your personality must stay exactly the same forever.
Conclusion: A person's personality does not change as they get older.
Reasoning: Personality is tied to genes, and because genes generally remain the same throughout a person's life, personality must also remain static.
Analysis: The flaw here is a 'parts-to-whole' or 'dependency' error; it assumes that because one component of a system is stable, the entire system must be stable. It ignores the possibility that other factors, such as life experiences or environment, could change the personality even if the genetic 'blueprint' remains constant. When looking for a parallel, find an argument that takes a fixed foundation and incorrectly concludes that everything built upon that foundation must also be fixed. It’s a bit like saying that because the foundation of a house never moves, the furniture inside can never be rearranged.
Conclusion: A person's personality does not change as they get older.
Reasoning: Personality is tied to genes, and because genes generally remain the same throughout a person's life, personality must also remain static.
Analysis: The flaw here is a 'parts-to-whole' or 'dependency' error; it assumes that because one component of a system is stable, the entire system must be stable. It ignores the possibility that other factors, such as life experiences or environment, could change the personality even if the genetic 'blueprint' remains constant. When looking for a parallel, find an argument that takes a fixed foundation and incorrectly concludes that everything built upon that foundation must also be fixed. It’s a bit like saying that because the foundation of a house never moves, the furniture inside can never be rearranged.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage5.Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the argument above?
Correct Answer
A
A matches the flawed pattern: historians’ understanding (A) is related to what happened (B); what happened is fixed; therefore the understanding cannot change. It mistakenly treats a relation to an unchangeable thing as guaranteeing unchangeability of the related thing, just like the stimulus.
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