#24 - Must Be True

[reop6780]

I chose answer A when the correct answer is B.

I think the correct answer B is inferred from line 24-27.

I thought that question in line 24-27 was imposed by the author of the passage.

Can we say "subjectivists" advance a claim based upon a question that is imposed by the author?

Also, even though objectivists are not entirely dependent on evidence that conflicts with the data of introspection all the time, they do rely on such evidence as line 21-22 state.

Am I missing something about A that is definitely false?

[Lucas Moreau]

Hello, reop,

I can see the problem here. That question in line 24-27 was actually imposed by the philosophers, not the author, as evidenced by the "they argue" clause in the previous sentence. The author's viewpoint doesn't resume until the sentence after that, talking about "these two approaches".

As far as lines 21-22, it is the appeals to science that conflict with the data of introspection - the idea that knowledge includes experience, which is inherently subjective, so you can't just claim "science" to get out of subjectivity.

Hope that helps,
Lucas Moreau

[nutcracker]

Hi,

I chose B but wasn't sure why A is wrong. I don't think I have completely understood the sentence in lines 20-22. I understand it as saying that data gathered by science (objective) sometimes conflict with data gathered by introspection (subjective experience), and that subjectivists think this is a problem. Choice A seems to be saying the same thing. Could you please tell me what went wrong in my understanding of the text? Thanks!

[James Finch]

Hi Nutcracker,

This issue with answer choice (A) is that we don't know it to be true. It may well be, but we cannot reasonably infer it from the second paragraph. We don't know that objectivism "rests on evidence that conflicts with introspectionism," only that when the two do conflict, objectivists side with scientific evidence, while subjectivists may not (they "are not persuaded by appeals to science"). This leaves open the possibility that both objectivists and subjectivists may agree on the the overwhelming majority of philosophical subjects, including foundational tenets, but have vehement disagreements about certain matters, mainly methodology. The passage itself doesn't clarify the actual subjects of their disagreements, only that the two camps fundamentally disagree about methodology. So there simply isn't enough evidence to say that answer choice (A) is true, even if it most likely is. Answer choice (B), however, can clearly be inferred from the dismissal of introspection by objectivists that is stated in the passage, making it the unambiguously correct answer.

Hope this clears things up!