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flaw in reasoning

Expert replies
by paes » Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:16 pm
That long-term cigarette smoking can lead to health problems including cancer and lung disease is a scientifically well-established fact. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, however, it is not necessary to deny this fact in order to reject the view that tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers. After all, excessive consumption of candy undeniably leads to such health problems as tooth decay, but no one seriously believes that candy eaters who get cavities should be able to sue candy manufacturers.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

(A) fails to establish that the connection between tooth decay and candy eating is as scientifically well documented as that between smoking and the health problems suffered by smokers
(B) depends on the obviously false assumption that everyone who gets cavities does so only as a result of eating too much candy
(C) leaves undefined such critical qualifying terms as 'excessive' and 'long term'.
(D) attribute certain beliefs to many people without identifying the people who hold those beliefs.
(E) fails to address the striking differences in the nature of the threat to health posed by tooth decay on the one hand and cancer and lung disease on the other.

[spoiler]OA Later. I am able to discard easily B and D.
Please explain A, C and E.[/spoiler]
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by pradeepkaushal9518 » Sun Jul 04, 2010 9:43 pm
imo E

nature of candy and tooth decay is different from cigarette smoking and cancer/lung diseases.

tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos. so nature is totally different.

A is not correct as the passage is not all about scientific documentations

C is irrevent
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by SmarpanGamt » Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:00 pm
pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:imo E

nature of candy and tooth decay is different from cigarette smoking and cancer/lung diseases.

tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos. so nature is totally different.

A is not correct as the passage is not all about scientific documentations

C is irrevent
IMO A : Since tooth deacy have several reasons along with eating against caner and lung disease by somking, a presence of fact ful document can weaken a claim against candy manufacturer.

Please suggets the OE and OA
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by real2008 » Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:47 pm
I feel answer is C.If it is correct I will try explanation..
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by this_time_i_will » Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:38 am
paes wrote:That long-term cigarette smoking can lead to health problems including cancer and lung disease is a scientifically well-established fact. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, however, it is not necessary to deny this fact in order to reject the view that tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers. After all, excessive consumption of candy undeniably leads to such health problems as tooth decay, but no one seriously believes that candy eaters who get cavities should be able to sue candy manufacturers.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

(A) fails to establish that the connection between tooth decay and candy eating is as scientifically well documented as that between smoking and the health problems suffered by smokers: excessive consumption of candy undeniably leads to such health problems : more stress on the word undeniably. So the argument does establish the connection.
(C) leaves undefined such critical qualifying terms as 'excessive' and 'long term'.:If long term is undefined for cigarette ase then excessive is also undefined for candy case. So a level playing field in both case.
(E) fails to address the striking differences in the nature of the threat to health posed by tooth decay on the one hand and cancer and lung disease on the other.: E is correct

[spoiler]OA Later. I am able to discard easily B and D.
Please explain A, C and E.[/spoiler]
Join the discussion

by gmatmachoman » Mon Jul 05, 2010 2:56 am
pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:imo E

nature of candy and tooth decay is different from cigarette smoking and cancer/lung diseases.

tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos. so nature is totally different.

A is not correct as the passage is not all about scientific documentations

C is irrevent
Pick E

People View : tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers

Author's view : rejects the People View. tobacco companies ARE NOT TO BE held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers.

evidence of author : Draws a comparision between sueing of candy manufacturers and Tobacco manufacturers.

assumption: Author made the comparision and rejected the people's view based on the assumption that "threats" developed by long-term cigarette smoking & excessive consumption of candy are SAME.

How do we weaken the author's claim??

Break the assumption.

Introduce a reasoning that author failed to understand the "striking differences in the nature of the threat"

E rightly does that...!

Small trick: The selected answer in many cases will encompass all the basic terms compared with in it.
In E: Both the terms tooth decay & cancer is used.
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by paes » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:56 am
Thanks MacMohan. OA is E.

But with the same reasoning, I selected A.

Here is my view :

Author's assumption : eating candies and smoking are similar.

Premise -> smoking causes cancer is a scientifically well-established fact.

Missing --> no scientifically well-established fact is given for candies that they create tooth decay.

Hence A

E :
Nature of threat -> this is extra information. And in an flaw question, extra information is not allowed.


Please correct my understanding.
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by paes » Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:58 am
pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:imo E

nature of candy and tooth decay is different from cigarette smoking and cancer/lung diseases.

tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos. so nature is totally different.

A is not correct as the passage is not all about scientific documentations

C is irrevent
tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos ---> Where is this information given ??
Join the discussion

by outreach » Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:33 am
tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers
paes wrote:
pradeepkaushal9518 wrote:imo E

nature of candy and tooth decay is different from cigarette smoking and cancer/lung diseases.

tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos. so nature is totally different.

A is not correct as the passage is not all about scientific documentations

C is irrevent
tooth decay have several reasons along with candy eating but cancer and lung diesases are only due to smoking and using
tobaccos ---> Where is this information given ??
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by deepshi291 » Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:21 pm
paes wrote:That long-term cigarette smoking can lead to health problems including cancer and lung disease is a scientifically well-established fact. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, however, it is not necessary to deny this fact in order to reject the view that tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible for the poor health of smokers. After all, excessive consumption of candy undeniably leads to such health problems as tooth decay, but no one seriously believes that candy eaters who get cavities should be able to sue candy manufacturers.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

(A) fails to establish that the connection between tooth decay and candy eating is as scientifically well documented as that between smoking and the health problems suffered by smokers
(B) depends on the obviously false assumption that everyone who gets cavities does so only as a result of eating too much candy
(C) leaves undefined such critical qualifying terms as 'excessive' and 'long term'.
(D) attribute certain beliefs to many people without identifying the people who hold those beliefs.
(E) fails to address the striking differences in the nature of the threat to health posed by tooth decay on the one hand and cancer and lung disease on the other.

[spoiler]OA Later. I am able to discard easily B and D.
Please explain A, C and E.[/spoiler]

Can someone say why it is not A?
how can it be E - there no info given only smoking causes cancer and lung diseases
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by adi_800 » Wed Jul 07, 2010 2:28 am
I think A as well as the example of tooth decay and candy manufacture is just a red herring. It is simple used to introduce analogy between the threats caused by eating candy and the threats caused by smoking.
When the author uses this analogy, he assumes that the threats for both are them are same and hence there is no reason for people to believe that tobacco companies should be held either morally or legally responsible.

N this flaw is properly identified by the option E.
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