#20 - Global Reference, Main Point

[kupwarriors9]

For this question, "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?" why is A (Some views that certain commentators consider to be implications of philosophical anarchism are highly counterintuitive) incorrect while C (t does not follow logically from philosophical anarchism that no government is morally better than any other or that people have no moral duties toward one another) correct?

[atierney]

Hi,

Yes, this is a pretty difficult question, and as with any main point question, you're really looking for the answer choice that most captures the general idea or central takeaway of the passage.

As you know, we're looking for this in the first and last five lines of the passage, but also as a general statement that constitutes the arguments present within the passage and that informs the overall structure (it's safe to assume that most passages are "cropped" in a strategic manner, so as to drive home a central point). Here, I think you prephrase the main point, which is also informed here by the structure of the passage, in some way that acknowledges the defense the author makes two main points the critics of philosophical anarchism to detract from the philosophy itself. The last lines of the first paragraph establish the definition of philosophical anarchism and then further expound the position by explaining what does not, in spite of critics purport, follow from its central tenet. In this view then, the main point would not be one that acknowledges the seemingly counterintuitive nature of philosophical anarchism, but rather one that explicitly denies such claims, as answer choice C indeed does.

Basically, the difference between A and C is that A takes as the main point an admission, implicitly at least, of the fact that yeah, maybe the critics claim the the position is counterintuitive (implying that they may have a point), while C says no(!), the critics are wrong, logically speaking, and that what they claim does not logically follow from the core espoused by the philosophy.

Let me know if you have further questions.

[ange.li6778]

Hi powerscore,

My dilemma was between C and D. I thought D better captured the general idea of the passage because it mentioned the main belief of philosophical anarchists (that governmental laws lack moral force). But now I can see that D mainly represents only the third paragraph. Is that the correct rationale for why D is wrong? Is the key to this question eliminating the obviously wrong answers rather than finding the "perfect" right answer?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Ange,

Great work. Your reasoning is spot on. Answer choice (D) accurately describes a PART of the passage, but does not describe the main point of the passage as a whole. For main point questions, you are looking for the answer choice that is a correct description of the overall point of the passage, not just a part of it. Answer choice (C) does a good job of describing the main point of the passage as a whole.

Good work!