#27 - Global Reference, Must Be True, Principle

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[mandrewg]

Hi Team,

I am trying to wrap my head around answer B. "If a speaker possesses a concept for which the speaker's language lacks an expression, then that suggests that the concept was not created by language."

Is this referring to the Brazilian peoples' lack of exact numerical valuation when stating a particular number, and because of the lack of expression for stating exact numbers, the concept was not created by language itself...but rather...something else? I'm trying to figure out what that "something else" would be. As well as how this was a principle stated in Passage B and not A.

Thanks in advance!

[KelseyWoods]

Hi mandrewg!

The support for answer choice (B) comes from this sentence: "In showing that subjects with no verbal counting system have a concept of approximate numerical magnitude comparable to that of numerate subjects, these reports support a non-Whorfian, language-independent view of the origins of our concept of number."

The Pirahã and Mundurukú do not have a verbal counting system yet they have some concept of numeracy. The author says that supports a language-independent view of the origins of our concept of number. Thus, since they have a numerical concept but do not have words to express those concepts, that suggests that the concept of number was not created by language. The author doesn't state the "something else" that would have created the concept so we don't need the answer choice to specify that. The author just says that it would not be language, which matches the answer choice.

Passage A makes no mention of concepts that groups or cultures may have independently of language to express those concepts. Thus, the principle in answer choice (B) is not underlying the argument in passage A.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[mkarimi73]

Could we have an explanation in regards to the other incorrect answer choices? I recognize that the official explanation is still in progress, which is fine. No need to answer this post if a fuller explanation is being posted soon!

(My only question is this: We can eliminate A, C, D, and E because they aren't even triggered conditionals, correct?)

[goingslow]

Bumping this thread! I'd greatly appreciate an explanation of how (D) fits with passage B. The sufficient condition seems triggered, but what about the necessary condition?

Many thanks!

[Luke Haqq]

Happy to address the questions!

Mkarimi73, you write:

We can eliminate A, C, D, and E because they aren't even triggered conditionals, correct?

The question stem asks us to identify something that is present in one of the passages but not the other. For answer choices on this type of question, it can be helpful to put an "A" and "B" next to each answer choice, or each answer choice that remains a contender after skimming them. We're specifically asked about something present in B, but not in A.

From that perspective, there can be a variety of reasons why an answer choice fails, which is to say these answer choices aren't triggered conditionals if I understand what you mean correctly. An answer choice might mention material not present in B at all, or it might mention material in A but not in B, or material in B that is also in A, or material that is in neither passage. All of these variations would be incorrect.

Goingslow, you ask:

I'd greatly appreciate an explanation of how (D) fits with passage B. The sufficient condition seems triggered, but what about the necessary condition?

Answer choice (D) states, "If a concept can be expressed more exactly in one language than in another language, then it is likely that the concept was created by those languages." I understand your mentioning the sufficient condition being triggered to mean that we can find the first half of this sentence, treated as a statement, within Passage B. For example, Passage B discusses how different languages may be related to different abilities in numerical reasoning.

However, I don't see Passage B additionally making a claim that its example of differences in numerical reasoning is meant to imply that "the concept was created by those languages." Rather, on this front the author leaves open a few possibilities, proffered at the end of the passage: "Thus, the reports suggest that learning number words either creates a concept of exact numerical equality (a strong Whorfian hypothesis), or mediates the expansion of such a concept (a weaker Whorfian hypothesis), or directs attention to such a concept (a non-Whorfian hypothesis)" (lines 58-63).

[miriamson07]

I initially eliminated answer choice B because the author of Passage B first says "these reports support a...language-independent view of...our concept of number" at the beginning of the second paragraph, but at the last sentence of the paragraph, the author refines their hypothesis to the concept possibly being created by language. Thus, I understood this to mean that even "if a speaker possesses a concept for which the speaker's language lacks an expression," that doesn't necessarily suggest that "the concept was not created by language." Therefore, I eliminated B.

I can see why B would be correct, if we only consider the fact that "a speaker possesses a concept for which the speaker's language lacks an expression" and consider no other possibilities. But is that valid reasoning? If other evidence makes B false, as it did for the author of passage B, wouldn't we consider B to be false?

I hope my question makes sense. I struggled a bit to phrase it in a way that would be easily understood. Thank you!

[Jeff Wren]

Hi miriamson,

First, if you haven't done so already, I'd recommend reading Jeremy's excellent explanation of the final paragraph of Passage B.

It can be found as Post #3 at this link.

viewtopic.php?f=1478&t=36008

As Jeremy explains, the end of the paragraph is not a contradiction of the beginning of the paragraph. The beginning of the paragraph focuses on "the concept of approximate numerical magnitude" (lines 47-48). Based on the tests described in the first paragraph in Passage B, "the results appear to indicate that the subjects possess an innate imprecise nonverbal concept of number" (lines 43-45). In other words, this would be an example of a concept not created by language as described in Answer B.

The rest of the final paragraph switches to a different but related idea of "exact numerical equality" (lines 52-53). The subjects do not possess this concept. The final sentence of Passage B provides three different theories of how language, "learning number words" (lines 58-59), could explain this specific concept. Notice that the author doesn't endorse any one of these theories specifically, so you shouldn't take any of these theories as the author's view or belief. These are simply possible explanations that the author mentions. In addition, these theories, and the fact that the subjects do not understand the concept of "exact numerical equality," does not contradict the fact that the subjects do possess a general, imprecise understanding of numbers even without specific numerical words in their languages.

[miriamson07]

Hi miriamson,

First, if you haven't done so already, I'd recommend reading Jeremy's excellent explanation of the final paragraph of Passage B.

It can be found as Post #3 at this link.

https://forum.powerscore.com/viewtopic.php?f=1478&t=36008

As Jeremy explains, the end of the paragraph is not a contradiction of the beginning of the paragraph. The beginning of the paragraph focuses on "the concept of approximate numerical magnitude" (lines 47-48). Based on the tests described in the first paragraph in Passage B, "the results appear to indicate that the subjects possess an innate imprecise nonverbal concept of number" (lines 43-45). In other words, this would be an example of a concept not created by language as described in Answer B.

The rest of the final paragraph switches to a different but related idea of "exact numerical equality" (lines 52-53). The subjects do not possess this concept. The final sentence of Passage B provides three different theories of how language, "learning number words" (lines 58-59), could explain this specific concept. Notice that the author doesn't endorse any one of these theories specifically, so you shouldn't take any of these theories as the author's view or belief. These are simply possible explanations that the author mentions. In addition, these theories, and the fact that the subjects do not understand the concept of "exact numerical equality," does not contradict the fact that the subjects do possess a general, imprecise understanding of numbers even without specific numerical words in their languages.

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your response. After reading your answer and Jeremy's explanation, the conclusion that comes to me is that answer choice B does not mean that "the concept was not created by language." Rather, all it is saying is that "if a speaker possesses a concept for which the speaker's language lacks an expression," then that ONLY suggests that the concept was not created by language -- not that the concept was, in fact, not created by language. In that case, I see why B works! Could you let me know whether my reasoning seems correct?

Thanks again in advance.