#12 - Concept, Must Be True, Author and Subject Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (A).

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[lathlee]

Hi. While I do not have the problem of A) is the correct answer since it is least incorrect but I just to clarify some remaining issues that I am scared for if this kind of question is going to possibly reoccur.

Mill says that Proper names are meaningless mark set upon. (L 5-6)
the author says mill's view of Personal names is without inherent meaning (L 55)

A) it's characterization of the function of a name is too narrow to be universally applicable.

there is no definition of being too narrow or universally applicable discussed in the passage, therefore, we, the readers, do not really have solid content to distinguish what might be too narrow or universally applicable. universally applicable, I can understand why Mill's view would be NOT universally applicable since mill's concept didn't work in Hopi tribe or Western Apache. but we, the problem solvers are still left with the remaining concern, what is too narrow or what qualifies "looking at things too narrowly? "

[Francis O'Rourke]

Hi Lathlee,

There is one detail that I believe you may be overlooking here. Answer choice (A) makes a claim about Mills characterization of the function of names, not just his characterization of names.

According to lines 6-7 Mill claimed that proper names serve to distinguish persons from one another. this is a function of proper names that Mill described.

Now, what would the author say about this proposed function? Without getting into the details, they "do several things simultaneously" including but not limited to individuating persons (lines 48-53). This alone allows us to say that the author would describe Mill's characterization of the function as too narrow.

Let us know if you have any furhter questions, but I hope this explanation helps!

[mikewazowski]

Hi,

I also had trouble with this one. Hopi names were used to 'individuate persons' (line 50) which is in agreement with Mill. Does this not mean that Mill's function of names (line 6) is actually universally applicable? I chose (D) because it seemed like the least incorrect answer because of the line6/line50 similarily.

Thanks

[Robert Carroll]

Mike,

Mill says more than that names are used to individuate persons - he says they're "meaningless marks" which perform that function. So Mill is committed to the idea that names do nothing BUT individuate persons. Saying the Hopi names also individuate persons isn't Mill's view - Mill's view is that that's ALL they do. And, as the author points out, Hopi names do more than that. Line 50 even says that individuating persons is the second of two things they do. So we know the author thinks the names do more than just that. Mill's view was that that was all they did. Mill's view is too narrow because it captures only one of many functions of Hopi names.

There is no indication in the passage that Mill got things more right than Levi-Strauss, whom the authors considers to have been wrong along with Mill. We'd have to know how wrong each went, and rank those mistakes, to choose answer choice (D).

Further, no answer is ever "least incorrect" except by being correct. If something does not answer the question, you should never select it. Every right answer always answers the question.

Robert Carroll