#23 - Specific Reference, Must Be True, Purpose/Function

[Administrator]

Please post your questions below! Thank you!

[deck1134]

I am curious how we choose between D and E on this question. they booth seem relevant and fair to say about the sentence in question. Isn't it both too radical and also exaggeratory?

[James Finch]

Hi Deck,

The issue with answer choice (E) isn't that Popper "exaggerates;" "hyperbolic application" is synonymous with "exaggerates." Instead, the rest of the answer choice is where (E) fails: "relevance to a particular theory." The author of Passage A isn't criticizing a specific application Popper is making, but saying Popper's general conclusion is wrong. Compare this to answer choice (D), which accurately describes the criticism of Popper's extrapolation of the value of negative and positive evidence as too strong, ie hyperbolic.

Hope this clears things up!

[Albertlyu]

Hi Deck,

The issue with answer choice (E) isn't that Popper "exaggerates;" "hyperbolic application" is synonymous with "exaggerates." Instead, the rest of the answer choice is where (E) fails: "relevance to a particular theory." The author of Passage A isn't criticizing a specific application Popper is making, but saying Popper's general conclusion is wrong. Compare this to answer choice (D), which accurately describes the criticism of Popper's extrapolation of the value of negative and positive evidence as too strong, ie hyperbolic.

Hope this clears things up!

thanks, then why A is not the correct answer, extrapolating the idea to cases?

[KelseyWoods]

Hi Albert!

Answer choice (A) is incorrect because the author does not suggest that Popper extends the idea to cases in which it does not apply. The author suggests that Popper may be extending the conclusions that can be drawn from his ideas. But the author does not suggest that Popper is trying to apply the idea to situations in which it is irrelevant.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[Albertlyu]

thanks, Kelsey for your help!

Albert

[BWACHS]

Can you please explain the difference between choices C and D?

I'm having trouble understanding how D is just not an explanation of the logical fallacy (answer choice C) the author commits. With D as the correct answer do we have to assume that Popper does not make a logical mistake in reasoning?

Thank you!

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi BWACHS,

Answer choice (C) describes an error in the reasoning "about" the idea, which would describe the premises. However, the error in the passage is about the conclusion the author draws from the ideas, which is better described by answer choice (D).

Hope that helps