#9 - Robin: Archaeologists can study the artifacts left by

[Luke Haqq]

Hi mkarimi73!

For the word "illicit" in this context, I would think of its meaning in terms of "not warranted" or "not permissible" (this seems a bit more general, or perhaps is encompassed in the "forbidden by custom" aspect of the definition you provide). Answer choice (A) states, "the distinction that Robin makes between two kinds of cultures is illicit." In other words, this is saying that distinction that Robin makes--between nomadic and sedentary--is not a warranted distinction to make. This isn't a point at issue between them, so (A) can be eliminated given the question stem.

To confirm that answer choice (B) is correct, we can start by denoting the two possible views:

Robin:
Kendall:

It's helpful to do this to confirm answer choices, or choose between contenders, because often one won't know one or the other's views, in which case one can't know if they disagree (to your question on answer choice (E), not knowing their views is why that choice can be eliminated). Here, answer choice (B) states, "it is reasonable to assume that a culture whose artifacts were not durable was nomadic." We can ask whether both people would agree or disagree with this statement:

Robin: Yes
Kendall: No

Robin thinks that durable artifacts imply a sedentary culture. In addition, cause and effect underlies this view. The lifestyle/culture (nomadic or sedentary) is taken to be the cause, and the effect is the durableness of the artifacts left behind by those cultures.

Kendall takes issue with this cause and effect relationship assumed by Robin. Instead, Kendall suggests an alternative cause--the cause might be the availability of materials, which leaves effects on artifacts that these cultures leave behind.

[darrengao]

How can I tell that B is not a mistaken reversal? The stimulus says if durable then sedentary. So if nomadic (non-sedentary) then non-durable. But B says if non-durable then nomadic.

Does "archeologists can study artifacts left by ancient culture to determine whether they were sedentary or nomadic" implies archeologists are able to make positive confirmations of culture types all the time (subject to some error)? Instead of, for example, archeologists' knowledge is limited to "nomadic culture doesn't produce durable artifacts". Which would satisfy the stimulus but reject B.

[Hanin Abu Amara]

Hi!

So mistaken reversal is only applicable in conditional questions. This stimulus doesn't have any language that indicates that conditional reasoning is being used.

B is the correct answer because Robin would agree that cultures with nondurable artifacts are nomadic and Kendall would disagree because the availability of materials is a factor.

You only look for mistaken reversal in conditional questions so make sure you aren't looking for it in the wrong places!

Hope that helps

Hanin

[TootyFrooty]

May I know why E is wrong? I chose E because I thought that's what they both were disagreeing on..

[Robert Carroll]

TootyFrooty,

Answer choice (E) is too broad. Kendall does not think that studying a culture's artifacts can't reveal a great deal about the culture. Kendall thinks instead that such study will not necessarily reveal whether a culture is nomadic or sedentary. What about other inferences artifacts allow you to make? Kendall makes no claims about that, implicit or explicit, so answer choice (E) is wrong by being too broad.

Robert Carroll