#12 - Criminologist: The main purpose of most criminal

[cpassaro]

Could you please explain June 2009, Sec. 2 (first LR section) Q12 (criminal organizations)?

Thanks so much!
Cara

[Steve Stein]

Hi Cara,

In that one, the author points out that most criminal organizations are primarily concerned with making profits. Since biotech and IT tech will be profitable, the author concludes, criminal organizations will surely become involved in those fields.

The question asks for an assumption that will justify this argument, and correct answer choice D provides that any organization driven by profit will enter fields that promise to be profitable. This is the choice that allows the authors conclusion to be properly drawn:

If it is the case that criminal organizations are driven by profit, and all such organizations seek to increase involvement in profitable fields, then this justifies the author's conclusion that criminal organizations will seek to increase involvement in those promising fields.

I hope that's helpful--please let me know whether that clears this one up--thanks!

~Steve

[cpassaro]

Thanks. That helps

[Voidy]

Why is answer choice D preferred over answer choice B? The passage discusses criminal organizations only, but D says ANY organization. Please explain. Thanks so much.

[Robert Carroll]

V,

Remember that a Justify the Conclusion answer can prove more than is necessary, as long as it proves at least what is sufficient to make the conclusion true. If every organization whose main purpose is to generate profits became involved in any technological revolution that promises to generate enormous profits, then any criminal organization would also do it (because every organization does). So answer choice (D) proves the conclusion.

Robert Carroll

[jessamynlockard]

Why is answer choice C wrong?

[James Finch]

Hi Jessamyn,

This is a Justify question, so the correct answer choice will serve as a missing piece between the premises and the conclusion that fits in perfectly so that the argument is logically true. While answer choice (D) does this, serving as the bridge between criminal organizations' interest in profits and the tech sectors promise of enormous profits, answer choice (C) fails because it goes out-of-scope. The conclusion is seeking to prove that criminals are going to become more involved in the tech sector, not that they are already involved; whether they are involved now or not is irrelevant, only whether they will try to become more involved. So (C) doesn't get us any closer to our goal, and is thus incorrect.

Hope this clears things up!

[jessamynlockard]

Thanks!

[student987]

Hello! Can someone explain why (B) is wrong here? Would (B) merely strengthen (and not justify) the stimulus? I get why (D) is the answer, but I'm still a bit shaky on why (B) is wrong. Thank you!

[jwheeler]

B doesn't quite come far enough to justify the conclusion. I was stuck between it and D for a while, and eventually just chose D and moved on. When I came back to review, it made more sense. Here was my thinking: even if some criminal organizations were made aware of the promise of profits in these industries, that doesn't mean they would undoubtedly try to become increasingly involved in those areas. Maybe they think those industries have more regulations than others, and therefore more risk involved. Or maybe there are other industries that have even greater potential for profit. Whatever the case may be, it doesn't prove that they will become involved in the future, whereas D says that any organization that has their same mission will become involved. You can diagram that into a conditional to say
main purpose to generate profits --> will try to become increasingly involved in technological (here bio or informational) revolution that promises to generate enormous profits. SInce the sufficient was fulfilled, the necessary will be too.

Hope that helps someone else!