- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 651
- Joined: Oct 19, 2022
- Tue Aug 27, 2024 11:01 am
#108599
Hi Will,
First, it's important to realize that this is an assumption question rather than a justify question. What this means is that the correct answer will be something necessary for the argument rather than something that is sufficient to prove the conclusion.
Second, it is also important to understand that arguments can have many assumptions, and we are just looking for one of them in these questions.
As I mentioned in my prior post, the author of this argument is making two big assumptions in this argument.
1. The mammoths were still alive when the engraving was made.
2. That the settlement was occupied when the engraving was made.
Either one of these would be an acceptable answer to an assumption question.
Here, Answer A addresses the second one.
You seem to think that it is a problem that this Answer doesn't prove the conclusion (without also adding assumption #1), but we are not being asked to prove the conclusion. We are simply asked for 1 of the assumptions necessary for the argument.
Let me give a simple example to illustrate.
Imagine I claim "My friend John is a great tennis player."
What is an assumption necessary for this claim.
1. That John can hit the ball over the net.
2. That John can serve the ball.
3. That John can swing a racket.
All of these are assumptions necessary for this claim, even though none of these justifies the claim.
First, it's important to realize that this is an assumption question rather than a justify question. What this means is that the correct answer will be something necessary for the argument rather than something that is sufficient to prove the conclusion.
Second, it is also important to understand that arguments can have many assumptions, and we are just looking for one of them in these questions.
As I mentioned in my prior post, the author of this argument is making two big assumptions in this argument.
1. The mammoths were still alive when the engraving was made.
2. That the settlement was occupied when the engraving was made.
Either one of these would be an acceptable answer to an assumption question.
Here, Answer A addresses the second one.
You seem to think that it is a problem that this Answer doesn't prove the conclusion (without also adding assumption #1), but we are not being asked to prove the conclusion. We are simply asked for 1 of the assumptions necessary for the argument.
Let me give a simple example to illustrate.
Imagine I claim "My friend John is a great tennis player."
What is an assumption necessary for this claim.
1. That John can hit the ball over the net.
2. That John can serve the ball.
3. That John can swing a racket.
All of these are assumptions necessary for this claim, even though none of these justifies the claim.