Passage Summary: You can't really praise or blame a whole group because groups don't have their own minds or the ability to act independently, so you have to focus on the individuals instead.

Conclusion: Evaluating praise or blame directed at a group requires translating that claim into a statement about the individuals within that group.

Reasoning: Praise and blame require the entity to have a conscience and agency; however, nations lack consciences and families lack agency, meaning groups as a whole cannot be worthy of praise or blame.

Analysis: The statement 'nations do not have consciences' serves as a premise. It is a specific example used to support the broader claim that groups lack the necessary attributes (conscience and agency) to be held morally accountable. By showing that a specific type of group (a nation) lacks one of these requirements, the philosopher builds the case for the final conclusion. Look for an answer that identifies this as a premise supporting the idea that groups are not appropriate targets for moral judgment.