People who have political power tend to see new technologies as a means of extending or protecting their power, whereas they generally see new ethical arguments and ideas as a threat to it. Therefore, technical ingenuity usually brings benefits to those who have this ingenuity, whereas ethical inventiveness brings only pain to those who have this inventiveness.
Which one of the following statements, if true, most strengthens the argument?
(A) Those who offer new ways of justifying current political power often reap the benefits of their own innovations.
(B) Politically powerful people tend to reward those who they believe are useful to them and to punish those who they believe are a threat.
(C) Ethical inventiveness and technical ingenuity are never possessed by the same individuals
(D) New technologies are often used by people who strive to defeat those who currently have political power.
(E) Many people who possess ethical inventiveness conceal their novel ethical arguments for fear of retribution by the politically powerful.
OA B
Source: Veritas Prep
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
People who have political power tend to see new technologies
This topic has expert replies
-
BTGmoderatorDC
- Moderator
- Posts: 7187
- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:43 pm
- Followed by:23 members
-
deloitte247
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2214
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:22 pm
- Followed by:5 members
Premise: People who have political power see new technologies as a means of extending or protecting their power whereas they generally see new ethical arguments and ideas as a threat.
Conclusion: Technical ingenuity usually brings benefits to those who have this ingenuity while ethical inventiveness brings only pains to those with inventiveness.
Now, we want to look for the statement that most strengthens the argument.
Option A- Incorrect
This statement is not definite because we do not know according to the passage if those who offer new ways of justifying the current political power get rewarded for their innovation
Option B - Correct
This statement is the most valid statement that most strengthens the argument, and it can be seen in the passage "people with political power see new technologies as a means of extending or protecting their power". Nevertheless, they see ethical arguments and ideas as a threat.
Hence, they tend to reward people who are useful to them and punish those that they see as a threat (ref. to the passage conclusion: technical ingenuity usually brings benefits to those who have this ingenuity while ethical inventiveness brings only pains to those with inventiveness).
Option C - Incorrect
According to the passage, it was not stated if the same individual posses ethical inventiveness and technical ingenuity. Rather, we can conclude that the above stated are possessed by different sets of people.
Option D - Incorrect
There is no reference in the passage that correlates with this claim. It's wrong.
Option E - Incorrect
This is literally off point here because we cannot know from the passage if this claim is true as it wasn't stated.
Conclusion: Technical ingenuity usually brings benefits to those who have this ingenuity while ethical inventiveness brings only pains to those with inventiveness.
Now, we want to look for the statement that most strengthens the argument.
Option A- Incorrect
This statement is not definite because we do not know according to the passage if those who offer new ways of justifying the current political power get rewarded for their innovation
Option B - Correct
This statement is the most valid statement that most strengthens the argument, and it can be seen in the passage "people with political power see new technologies as a means of extending or protecting their power". Nevertheless, they see ethical arguments and ideas as a threat.
Hence, they tend to reward people who are useful to them and punish those that they see as a threat (ref. to the passage conclusion: technical ingenuity usually brings benefits to those who have this ingenuity while ethical inventiveness brings only pains to those with inventiveness).
Option C - Incorrect
According to the passage, it was not stated if the same individual posses ethical inventiveness and technical ingenuity. Rather, we can conclude that the above stated are possessed by different sets of people.
Option D - Incorrect
There is no reference in the passage that correlates with this claim. It's wrong.
Option E - Incorrect
This is literally off point here because we cannot know from the passage if this claim is true as it wasn't stated.
