Bibliographer: For an early printed volume to be conclusively identified as a genuine product of the Aldine Press, it is essential that its paper contains the distinctive dolphin-and-anchor watermark and utilizes Aldus Manutius's proprietary italic typeface. A recently discovered copy of Virgil's Aeneid exhibits both this authentic watermark and the proprietary typeface. Thus, this copy must have been printed directly by the Aldine Press.
Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the bibliographer's reasoning?
- ARejects an alternative provenance hypothesis merely by questioning the commercial motives of modern book collectors
- BPresumes without justification that seventeenth-century counterfeiters were entirely incapable of replicating authentic watermarks
- Treats features that are necessary for establishing an artifact's authenticity as though they are sufficient to prove itAnswer
- DConfuses an intermediate conclusion regarding the physical traits of the volume with the main conclusion regarding its origin
- EDraws an overly broad generalization that all volumes printed in Venice during the Renaissance invariably used proprietary typefaces
Answer
Treats features that are necessary for establishing an artifact's authenticity as though they are sufficient to prove it
The argument establishes that the watermark and proprietary typeface are essential—meaning required or necessary—to identify a book as an Aldine Press product. Demonstrating that a volume satisfies these necessary conditions does not guarantee that it was printed by the Aldine Press, as other conditions might also be necessary. Thus, the reasoning improperly treats necessary conditions as though they were sufficient to prove authenticity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Mistaking Necessary Conditions for Sufficient Conditions
Estimated Time:1m 15s