Critic: To be a literary classic a book must reveal something significant about the human condition. Furthermore, nothing that is unworthy of serious study reveals anything significant about the human condition.

Summary

To be a literary classic, a book must reveal something significant about the human condition. Furthermore, to reveal something significant about the human condition, it must be worthy of serious study.

Notable Valid Inferences

To be a literary classic, a book must be worthy of serious study.

If something is not worthy of serious study, then it is not a literary classic.

A
Any book worthy of serious study is a literary classic.

Could be false. This answer choice confuses sufficiency for necessity. We know that any literary classic is worthy of serious study, but it is possible that there are other books worthy of serious study that are no literary classics.

B
A book is a literary classic only if it is worthy of serious study.

Must be true. As shown below, worthiness of serious study is also a necessary condition in order for a book to be a literary classic.

C
There are no literary classics worthy of serious study.

Could be false. The stimulus only tells us that in order to be a literary classic, a book must be worthy of serious study. It is possible that there are no books that meet these requirements.

D
Some books worthy of serious study do not reveal anything significant about the human condition.

Could be false. It is possible that some books worthy of serious study do not reveal anything significant about the human condition. A necessary condition may occur without the sufficient condition occurring.

E
Some books that reveal something significant about the human condition are not literary classics.

Could be false. It is possible that some books that reveal something significant about the human condition are not literary classics. A necessary condition may occur without the sufficient condition occurring.


7 comments

At Tromen University this semester, some students taking French Literature 205 are also taking Biology 218. Every student taking Biology 218 at Tromen is a biology major. Therefore, some of the students taking French Literature 205 are not French-literature majors.

Summary
The author concludes that some students taking FL 205 are not FL majors. Why? Because of the following:
Some students in FL 205 are taking BIO 218.
All students in BIO 218 are bio majors.

Missing Connection
The premises, together, allow us to infer that some students in FL 205 are bio majors (because some FL 205 students are in BIO 218, and everyone in BIO 218 is a bio major).
But how to do we get from that inference — some FL 205 students are bio majors — to the conclusion that some FL 205 students are not FL majors?
Notice that “not FL major” is a new concept in the conclusion. At a minimum, we know the correct answer should tell us who is not an FL major.
To go further, the specific connection we want is to get from “bio major” to “not FL major.” This would allow us to conclude that some FL 205 students are not FL majors.

A
French Literature 205 is a required course for French-literature majors.
(A) doesn’t establish who is not an FL major. It leaves open the possibility that the students taking FL 205 are FL majors.
B
Only biology majors are allowed to take Biology 218.
We already know some FL 205 students are biology majors. What we want to know is that they’re not FL majors. (B) doesn’t establish that.
C
There are more biology majors than there are French-literature majors.
The comparative number of bio and FL majors doesn’t establish who is not an FL major.
D
There are more French-literature majors than there are biology majors.
The comparative number of bio and FL majors doesn’t establish who is not an FL major.
E
It is not possible to major in both biology and French literature.
We know some FL 205 students are bio majors. According to (E), you can’t be both a bio major and FL major. So those FL 205 students who are bio majors are NOT FL majors.

5 comments

When expert witnesses give testimony, jurors often do not understand the technical information and thereby are in no position to evaluate such testimony. Although expert witnesses on opposite sides often make conflicting claims, the expert witnesses on both sides frequently seem competent, leaving the jury unable to assess the reliability of their testimonies.

Summary
Jurors often do not understand the technical information provided by expert witnesses. Although these expert witnesses may make conflicting claims, both appear confident, leaving juries unable to assess how reliable their testimonies are.

Strongly Supported Conclusions
Juries may be swayed by factors other than reliability in a trial with expert testimony.

A
There should be limits placed on how much technical information can be considered by both sides in preparing a legal case.
This is too strong. The stimulus does not advocate for any limits to be placed on technical information. It purely focuses on jurors’ ability to understand it.
B
Jury decisions in cases involving expert witness testimonies are not always determined by the reliability of those testimonies.
The stimulus argues that jurors often cannot assess the reliability of expert witness testimonies. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that decisions involving expert witness testimonies are not always determined by their reliability.
C
Jurors who understand the technical information presented in a case can usually assess its legal implications accurately.
The stimulus does not explain how jurors utilize accurately understood technical information. While it seems plausible, this is too much of an assumption.
D
Jury members should generally be selected on the basis of their technical expertise.
The stimulus does not argue for any change in how jurors should be selected. This requires many assumptions to be correct.
E
Expert witnesses who testify on opposite sides in legal cases are likely to agree in their evaluations of technical claims.
This is anti-supported. The stimulus says that expert witnesses on opposite sides make conflicting claims.

11 comments