Q22 - Student: The publications of Professor Vallejo

[noah]

Flaw answers can be worded quite strangely - and you'll want to understand every flaw answer choice you meet (though during a test, if you know it's wrong, no need to figure it out deeply right there - look back at it later when you're reviewing). The wording in (E) is not unusual, but you'll probably not see it on your exam!

Let's take a look at this question:

The conclusion is that if Professor Vallejo is correct, than glassblowing didn't originate in Egypt.

Why? Because if the Professor is correct, there isn't enough evidence to conclude that glassblowing began in Egypt.

Hmm, that's fishy. That's like saying this: There isn't enough evidence to say Joe stole the car, so he definitely didn't.

Clearly, the absence of evidence is not proof of anything. (E) states this, albeit in a strange fashion. Let's decode it:

It confuses inadequate evidence for truth [Professor V's claim that we can't conclude that glassblowing started in Egypt] with evidence for falsity [the conclusion that glassblowing did not start in Egypt]. Tricky!

As for the wrong answers:

(A) is tempting, since Professor Vallejo does seem to go against the opinion of most historians. However, that's not a problem! You're allowed to disagree with the majority!

(B) is not true - the student is not assuming the professor is correct. The student states "if Professor Vallejo is correct.." which is far from assuming that the the Professor is correct!

(C) is tempting because it's complex-sounding. However, why would the student need to set up criteria for deciding if something is adequate historical evidence? The student is simply saying that if the professor is correct, we can conclude something. Perhaps this answer would be correct if the argument were about saying whether a piece of evidence means something, not, as we have here, whether an opinion means something.

(D) is perhaps tempting since the argument refers to the "traditional view" and to what the "majority of historians" believe. However, the argument doesn't confuse those two. The student states that the majority hold the traditional view - which suggests they could be different.

Does that clear it up?


#officialexplanation

[jennifer]

Is the wording in answer choice E a common flaw, and will this wording be used in future tests. This is test 54, and at the time of this post I believe there are 63 tests.

Better said should I remember this flaw, and the wording of it?

Also how is it different from answer choice B.

Thank you

[logicfiend]

This question was very frustrating! In part because the stimulus has indicator signs of a number of different flaws to throw you off: insufficient evidence, traditional/majority view, presupposes truth.

But you really need to zero in on the flaw in that mess to see how the student reaches his or her conclusion: because of insufficient evidence, the conclusion is false, best seen in E. Tricky!