- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#24079
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
Catmull’s argument in this stimulus is basically this: Because historians never arrive at the same conclusions about specific past events, they never determine exactly what happened. Thus, says Catmull, historians are really more like fiction writers.
So, what is the problem with this logic? Catmull presumes that just because historians arrive at different conclusions, it is all fiction—this is clearly questionable logic.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes the flaw of circular reasoning, which is not present in this stimulus.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. The flaw in Catmull’s reasoning in found in the presumption that different conclusions mean across-the-board inaccuracy.
Answer choice (C): The author does not assert that historians’ accounts have no value whatsoever, but that they are like fiction, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice describes the flaw of internal contradiction, which is not present in Catmull’s argument.
Answer choice (E): This choice describes an error in conditional reasoning. Catmull’s error is not based on conditional reasoning, but based on the presumption that lack of consensus means lack of any accurate account.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (B)
Catmull’s argument in this stimulus is basically this: Because historians never arrive at the same conclusions about specific past events, they never determine exactly what happened. Thus, says Catmull, historians are really more like fiction writers.
So, what is the problem with this logic? Catmull presumes that just because historians arrive at different conclusions, it is all fiction—this is clearly questionable logic.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice describes the flaw of circular reasoning, which is not present in this stimulus.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. The flaw in Catmull’s reasoning in found in the presumption that different conclusions mean across-the-board inaccuracy.
Answer choice (C): The author does not assert that historians’ accounts have no value whatsoever, but that they are like fiction, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice describes the flaw of internal contradiction, which is not present in Catmull’s argument.
Answer choice (E): This choice describes an error in conditional reasoning. Catmull’s error is not based on conditional reasoning, but based on the presumption that lack of consensus means lack of any accurate account.