#17 - Art critic: Criticism focuses on two issues: first,

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (C)

When you read through this stimulus, hopefully you realized that in the last sentence the author
assumes that judgments about extrinsic value must be a matter of taste and cannot be objective. If
you recognize the presence of that assumption, this question is easy.

However, if you do not see that leap, this stimulus is best addressed by understanding the conditions
in the critic’s argument. The critic claims that the issues of value and judgment are related, and offers
a conditional statement in the fi rst part of the last sentence:

Value Not Intrinsic Value Extrinsic

The critic then concludes that if an artwork’s value is extrinsic, then judgments about the quality of
the work can only be a matter of taste. The critic is incorrectly confusing objectivity with intrinsic
qualities, and assuming that any extrinsic value cannot be objective.

Answer choice (A): The critic attempts to say that judgments are merely taste in a certain instance,
so critic does not take for granted that the judgments are always a matter of taste.

Answer choice (B): The critic only believes that in certain situations judgments can only be a matter
of taste, not that people sometimes agree about judgments that are only matters of taste.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. As discussed, this is exactly the premise
that the critic assumes to draw his conclusion.

Answer choice (D): This answer is attractive because it connects judgments to objectivity. However,
despite having some of the terms we expect to see in the correct answer, this is actually a Mistaken
Negation of the correct answer (and thus a Mistaken Negation of the actual assumption in the
argument). The correct answer can be diagrammed as:

Judgment about extrinsic value Objective

This answer can be diagrammed as:

Judgment about extrinsic value Objective

Although it is easy to see why this was an attractive answer choice, the critic did not take this
relationship for granted in the argument.

Answer choice (E): The author does seem to take this statement for granted, but that is not a fl aw in
the argument because the argument concerns linking extrinsic value to judgment based on taste.

[Grivera]

Is this question a False Dilemma?

[Robert Carroll]

Grivera,

You can think about it that way, but I don't think it's helpful. The author thinks that "extrinsic" and "objective" are mutually exclusive. So the author thinks something like "a thing is extrinsic or objective, but not both". However, in order to interpret what the author said as that false dilemma, you already have to understand that the "third option" the author ignored was the possibility that something is both extrinsic and objective. The correct answer here is a more straightforward way of saying that than the language of a False Dilemma answer would be.

Robert Carroll

[HarmonRabb]

Hi, I am lost at the explanation on why C is correct.

The critic then concludes that if an artwork’s value is extrinsic, then judgments about the quality of
the work can only be a matter of taste. The critic is incorrectly confusing objectivity with intrinsic
qualities, and assuming that any extrinsic value cannot be objective.

The critic is saying that any judgments on the quality of a work of art with no intrinsic value are subjective judgments.
I see the relationship set out

Code: Select all

/Intrinsic  -->  Extrinsic  -->  /Objective_Quality_Judgment 

But I don't see the flaw.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi HarmonRabb!

You comment,

The critic is saying that any judgments on the quality of a work of art with no intrinsic value are subjective judgments.

What you mention is the flaw. That is, the critic makes an assumption that any judgments about the quality of a work of art with no intrinsic value are subjective judgments. It's possible, however, that one could still make an objective judgment about a work of art with no intrinsic value. The critic doesn't consider this possibility, which is the flaw with this stimulus.

[HarmonRabb]

Ah interesting. Would it have resolved the flaw had there been a premise like "As everyone knows, any judgments on the quality of a work of art with no intrinsic value are subjective judgments." ?