Q15

[asante]

Hi, can someone help me understand why D is correct and E is incorrect? I'm having a hard time picking D over E. Thanks!

[ohthatpatrick]

Sure thing. If you want a "cheat code" for PURPOSE OF A PARAGRAPH questions, the correct answer is normally some form of paraphrasing the topic sentence of the paragraph (maybe the first two sentences).

Here the topic sentence of P2 is that "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

To CONFIRM that this is the big idea dominating the 2nd paragraph, I want to see that the author goes on to unpack / support the claim that "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

And indeed, we see the author build that argument in 17-32, culminating with his conclusion "Consequently" -- the overly strict standard of theoretical equipoise would result in bad constraints on research.

(A) The AUTHOR is in favor of clinical equipoise. In this paragraph he's not outlining the position of people who favor theoretical. He's showing us why HE doesn't like theoretical.

(B) This sounds neutral and not-author. We were looking for something that sounded like "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

(C) Maybe ... negative towards theoretical equipoise ... but MORAL principle? That doesn't sound familiar.

(D) Boom. Negative towards theoretical equipoise. Better than (C) because there's nothing funky sticking out here. What IS the main difficulty? It's that "consequently" payoff line at the end of the 2nd P.

(E) GENERAL notion of equipoise? This paragraph is specifically about THEORETICAL equipoise.

(D) is the correct answer.

Cheat code wins this time.

[JorieB701]

Sure thing. If you want a "cheat code" for PURPOSE OF A PARAGRAPH questions, the correct answer is normally some form of paraphrasing the topic sentence of the paragraph (maybe the first two sentences).

Here the topic sentence of P2 is that "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

To CONFIRM that this is the big idea dominating the 2nd paragraph, I want to see that the author goes on to unpack / support the claim that "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

And indeed, we see the author build that argument in 17-32, culminating with his conclusion "Consequently" -- the overly strict standard of theoretical equipoise would result in bad constraints on research.

(A) The AUTHOR is in favor of clinical equipoise. In this paragraph he's not outlining the position of people who favor theoretical. He's showing us why HE doesn't like theoretical.

(B) This sounds neutral and not-author. We were looking for something that sounded like "theoretical equipoise may be too strict".

(C) Maybe ... negative towards theoretical equipoise ... but MORAL principle? That doesn't sound familiar.

(D) Boom. Negative towards theoretical equipoise. Better than (C) because there's nothing funky sticking out here. What IS the main difficulty? It's that "consequently" payoff line at the end of the 2nd P.

(E) GENERAL notion of equipoise? This paragraph is specifically about THEORETICAL equipoise.

(D) is the correct answer.

Cheat code wins this time.

Just curious. For C, if something were in fact "undermining the moral principle that underlies the theory of theoretical equipoise," what would that look like in the context of this passage?

Because it was a little tempting to me but felt "off" enough that I moved on to search for something better.

And E was suuuper tempting to me as well but I realize, as you say, the paragraph in question was about theoretical equipoise, specifically, and not the general notion. But also, it's actually a must be false because the author never took issue with the general notion of equipoise. He clearly is cool with the notion generally because he offered up clinical equipoise as a solution.

[ohthatpatrick]

The moral principle that undergirds the notion of equipoise is the first sentence: ethically obligated to prescribe the best available treatment.

So if the 2nd paragraph were undermining that moral principle, it would be saying something like
"medical professionals should only be expected to provide ADEQUATE treatment ... a requirement that they prescribe the 'best available' is an untenable constraint ... if medicine X is 10% more effective than medicine Y but five times as expensive, should a doctor be require to prescribe the (sometimes) prohibitively expensive treatment simply because it's the 'best available' treatment?"

[JorieB701]

The moral principle that undergirds the notion of equipoise is the first sentence: ethically obligated to prescribe the best available treatment.

So if the 2nd paragraph were undermining that moral principle, it would be saying something like
"medical professionals should only be expected to provide ADEQUATE treatment ... a requirement that they prescribe the 'best available' is an untenable constraint ... if medicine X is 10% more effective than medicine Y but five times as expensive, should a doctor be require to prescribe the (sometimes) prohibitively expensive treatment simply because it's the 'best available' treatment?"

Patrick does it again. Thank you! That totally makes sense!