Critical Reasoning

This is quite an interesting CR that I came across PowerScore CR Bible and thought to share with the community.

Jeff: Proposed regulations concerning the use of
animals in scientific experimentation would
prohibit experimentation on those species that
humans empathize with: dogs and horses, for
example. But extensive neurological research
on mammals shows that they are all capable of
feeling pain, just as dogs and horses are. Hence,
this proposal should be extended to all
experimentation on all mammals.

Miranda: Yet the issue of pain is not the crux of the
matter. Experimentation on any nonhuman
animal undermines respect for life itself
because only humans are capable of consenting
to an experiment. Since any activity that
undermines respect for life diminishes the
quality of all of our lives, the new regulations
should ban all such experimentation.

Which one of the following is a principle that, if
established, would best support Jeff’s conclusion?

(A) Regulations on the use of animals in scientific
experimentation should be primarily
concerned with respecting the feelings of the
humans who will perform those experiments.

(B) Whatever means are used to determine whether
dogs and horses feel pain should also be used
to determine whether other animals feel pain.

(C) Only those experiments on animals that are
known to cause those animals pain should be
prohibited.

(D) Scientists who perform experiments on animals
should empathize with any mammal as much
as they empathize with dogs or horses.

(E) Scientific experimentation should be
prohibited on any creature that is capable of
feeling pain.

As you can see, it is indeed a lengthy CR, but nonetheless very interesting.

IMO it's E.

A--ruled out because it's senseless.

B--ruled out because the argument doesn't talk about methods used to find out how dogs and horses feel pain.

C--ruled out because the experiments will have to be conducted to discover if it causes pain or not.

D--doesn't make sense.

E. Makes sense.

Let us know what the OA is.

A, B and D were easy to eliminate. Between C and E, I selected E because it directly addresses Jeff's point: Prohibit experiment on mammals because they are capable of feeling pain. If E is true then it automatically covers Jeff's point.

E for me too

IMO E

kanha81 wrote:This is quite an interesting CR that I came across PowerScore CR Bible and thought to share with the community.

Jeff: Proposed regulations concerning the use of
animals in scientific experimentation would
prohibit experimentation on those species that
humans empathize with: dogs and horses, for
example. But extensive neurological research
on mammals shows that they are all capable of
feeling pain, just as dogs and horses are. Hence,
this proposal should be extended to all
experimentation on all mammals.

Miranda: Yet the issue of pain is not the crux of the
matter. Experimentation on any nonhuman
animal undermines respect for life itself
because only humans are capable of consenting
to an experiment. Since any activity that
undermines respect for life diminishes the
quality of all of our lives, the new regulations
should ban all such experimentation.

Which one of the following is a principle that, if
established, would best support Jeff’s conclusion?

(A) Regulations on the use of animals in scientific
experimentation should be primarily
concerned with respecting the feelings of the
humans who will perform those experiments.

(B) Whatever means are used to determine whether
dogs and horses feel pain should also be used
to determine whether other animals feel pain.

(C) Only those experiments on animals that are
known to cause those animals pain should be
prohibited.

(D) Scientists who perform experiments on animals
should empathize with any mammal as much
as they empathize with dogs or horses.

(E) Scientific experimentation should be
prohibited on any creature that is capable of
feeling pain.

As you can see, it is indeed a lengthy CR, but nonetheless very interesting.

Jeff talks about prohibition of experimentation on all "mammals". While E talks about "any creature". I feel we are extending Jeff's argument to all creatures rather than just mammals. So between B and E, I will go with B.

karmayogi wrote:A, B and D were easy to eliminate. Between C and E, I selected E because it directly addresses Jeff's point: Prohibit experiment on mammals because they are capable of feeling pain. If E is true then it automatically covers Jeff's point.

Excellent point, Karmayogi! OA is [spoiler][E][/spoiler]

Looking at it now, E makes sense