Q23

 
rbolden
Thanks Received: 0
Jackie Chiles
Jackie Chiles
 
Posts: 31
Joined: January 05th, 2010
 
 
 

Q23

by rbolden Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:36 pm

Where is there support for answer choice A in the passage?
User avatar
 
noah
Thanks Received: 1192
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch
 
Posts: 1541
Joined: February 11th, 2009
 
This post thanked 3 times.
 
 

Re: PT52, S4, Q23 - By attributing to commentators

by noah Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:08 pm

The support for (A) is right around line 17. This is an inference question - it's asking for a close interpretation of the text.

When the author says that the implications of philosophical anarchism are "counterintuitive", he's explaining why some people disagree with the theory. Notice that the author frames it as what they "take to be" the implications. The rest of the passage goes on to explain why those implications are not actually implied. So, the author isn't arguing that the implications are not counterintuitive, just that the implications do not validly flow from the theory.

(A) offers a definition of "counterintuitive" that works well - if the word is used to mean that "the implications conflict with some commonly held beliefs", then it explains why the critics of philosophical anarchism would feel they way they do. Those implications go against what they believe. Be careful to remember that we're talking about what the commentators think, not the author (who goes on to dismiss the commentators' criticisms).

Looking at the wrong answers, which may be an easier way to arrive at (A):

(B) is jumping the gun. The author isn't yet discussing the validity of the implications. We're asked to explain what the commentators are thinking, not why the author dismisses their opinions. Furthermore, the passage never refers to empirical evidence.

(C) is similar to (B). In the part we're asked about, we need to identify why the critics don't like philosophical anarchism. (C) is discussing why the author dismisses their criticisms.

(D) is wrong because there's no discussion of the relationship between the two alleged implications.

(E) is similar to (B) and (C) in that this better describes the author's argument against the commentators' criticisms. Another way to look at this answer is that "counterintuitive" does not have anything to do with logic; it refers to something going against intuition. The commentators are pointing out that the implications are ones they disagree with, not that those implications have some logical flaws in them (it's the author who gets into the issue of the logical flaws--but of the argument that philosophical anarchism has those implications).

Does that clear it up?
 
lhermary
Thanks Received: 10
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch
 
Posts: 160
Joined: April 09th, 2011
 
 
 

Re: Q23

by lhermary Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:45 am

Please go into more detail as to why E is wrong.


Thanks
User avatar
 
noah
Thanks Received: 1192
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch
 
Posts: 1541
Joined: February 11th, 2009
 
 
 

Re: Q23

by noah Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:06 pm

lhermary Wrote:Please go into more detail as to why E is wrong.


Thanks

Now I'm older and wiser than I was when I wrote that. I've gone up and edited it. Hopefully that makes it clearer.