Carefully read the following five arguments. Pair each argument with the abstract description that most accurately identifies its structural pattern of reasoning or its specific logical defect.
- If the new congestion pricing plan is enacted, downtown traffic will be reduced only if public transit capacity is expanded. The transit authority's budget was just severely cut, guaranteeing capacity cannot be expanded. Thus, if the congestion pricing plan is enacted, downtown traffic will not be reduced.Validly establishes a conditional conclusion by demonstrating that a requirement necessary for a specific outcome within that conditional relationship cannot be met.
- All consistently profitable retail chains in this sector have implemented highly automated inventory management systems. Omnimart recently completed the rollout of a comprehensive automated inventory system across all its regional stores. Therefore, Omnimart is guaranteed to become a consistently profitable retail chain.Draws a flawed conclusion by treating a condition that is necessary for a particular status as though it were sufficient to guarantee that status.
- Several species of amphibians in the coastal ecosystem have developed a physiological tolerance to the invasive fungus. Furthermore, several amphibian species in this ecosystem are currently experiencing a rapid population decline. Consequently, there must be at least one amphibian species in this ecosystem that has both developed a tolerance to the fungus and is experiencing a rapid population decline.Demonstrates flawed logic by unjustifiably presuming that two partial subsets of a broader category must necessarily intersect.
- Any ethical framework grounded entirely in utilitarian principles will inevitably justify the infringement of personal liberties in extreme emergency situations. The newly drafted constitution's bill of rights absolutely prohibits the infringement of personal liberties under any circumstances. Therefore, the new constitution's bill of rights does not represent an ethical framework grounded entirely in utilitarian principles.Correctly applies a contrapositive inference to conclude that an entity lacks a given characteristic because it fails to exhibit a necessary consequence of that characteristic.
- A municipal ordinance is considered legally enforceable if and only if it is approved by a majority vote of the city council and subsequently signed by the mayor. The recently drafted commercial zoning restriction was vetoed and never signed by the mayor. Thus, regardless of whether the city council overwhelmingly approved it, the zoning restriction is not legally enforceable.Validly determines that a specific classification does not apply by demonstrating the failure to satisfy one component of a compound necessary requirement.
Answer
The arguments logically map to their abstract structures as follows: The congestion pricing argument validly establishes a conditional conclusion based on a failed requirement. The Omnimart argument commits a necessary-versus-sufficient flaw. The amphibian argument unjustifiably presumes subset intersection. The philosophical argument uses a valid contrapositive deduction. The zoning restriction argument validly denies a compound necessary requirement.
Each argument stimulus has a unique logical structure that precisely corresponds to only one abstract characterization. The congestion pricing argument perfectly matches the description of establishing a conditional conclusion via a failed necessary condition. The Omnimart argument precisely demonstrates the necessary-for-sufficient flaw. The amphibian argument showcases the subset intersection fallacy. The philosophical argument is a textbook contrapositive application. The zoning restriction argument validly denies a compound condition.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Parallel Reasoning and Parallel Flaw analysis requires abstracting the logical skeleton of an argument and accurately mapping it to a descriptive formal characterization.