#16 - Concept Reference, Must Be True, Subject Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

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

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

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

[Khodi7531]

I did a POE and got to B on this. Crossed C off and was referencing line 22, Burke expressed fear that...


I was looking for an answer that put museums in a position to fight lots of legal battles that may eventually end in their demise. But of course, it's never there the way you anticipate.


Now that I read B, I see I don't really get what it's even saying, but because I thought that prephase was the answer, I thought B may mean that. However, I see why C is the answer because of the line reference before - which I read, but then glanced over because that isn't the fear of Burke only. The concern that the litigation would be too much...AS A RESULT, of other countries claiming cultural property.


So not sure why that would be the answer...although it's the best answer that was not really the "fear". The fear was the legal costs to come out of that.


What are your thoughts?

[Alex Bodaken]

Khodi7531,

Thanks for the question! As you are aware, the first key is to understand what Burke's fear was - you were looking in the exact right place. The passage reads:

"Any country could enact a patrimony (20) law stating that anything ever made within the boundaries of that country is its cultural property. Burke expressed the fear that widespread reclamation litigation would lead to ruinous legal defense costs for museums."

To restate, Burke's fear was that a law passed by a country that anything made in the country is cultural property could lead to widespread litigation that would lead to excessive legal defense costs. So we are looking for an answer choice that is an example of this fear.

Looking at the answer choices, (C) fits the bill really well: "the passage of a law by another country declaring that all objects created by its aboriginal people are the sole property of that country." It slightly narrows the definition from all objects to those made by aboriginal people, but otherwise, it is the exact fear that Burke warns of. It is an example of a law widening the connection between where something was made to whose property it is, which was Burke's exact fear. If anything, answer choice (B) (an international accord establishing strict criteria for determining whether a work of art can be considered stolen and specifying the circumstances under which it must be returned to its country of origin) would run counter to Burke's fear, as this kind of law would weaken the connection between where something was made and who owns it.

Hope this helps!
AB