Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardPrinciple - Justify

City Planner: According to city guidelines, a proposed commercial development can be approved only if it is demonstrated that the project will not compromise the residential character of the surrounding neighborhood. The developers of the proposed Apex Industrial Park have submitted a comprehensive study demonstrating that while their project will significantly increase daytime commercial traffic, it will enforce a strict operating curfew that guarantees nighttime noise levels will remain completely unchanged.

Therefore, the Apex project should be approved.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most justifies the city planner's reasoning?

  1. A
    A commercial development does not compromise the residential character of a surrounding neighborhood as long as it guarantees that nighttime noise levels will remain unchanged.
  2. B
    A proposed commercial development should be approved only if its developers can enforce an operating curfew that prevents any increase in nighttime noise.
  3. C
    If city guidelines explicitly state a condition for approving a development project, any project that successfully demonstrates it has met that specific condition should be approved.
  4. D
    An increase in daytime commercial traffic does not compromise the residential character of a neighborhood unless it is accompanied by an increase in nighttime noise.
  5. Any proposed commercial development that demonstrates it will prevent any increase in nighttime noise should be approved, regardless of its impact on daytime commercial traffic.Answer

Answer

The principle stating that any proposed commercial development demonstrating it will prevent any increase in nighttime noise should be approved, regardless of its daytime traffic impact.
The correct answer perfectly bridges the factual premises to the conclusion. The premises establish that the Apex project demonstrates it will keep nighttime noise completely unchanged. The correct principle states that demonstrating this exact fact is sufficient to conclude that a project 'should be approved'. When this conditional principle is applied to the facts, the conclusion becomes logically guaranteed, which is the exact task of a Principle-Justify question.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core conclusion and the premises used to support it.
Conclusion: The Apex project should be approved. Premises: 1) Approval requires demonstrating the residential character won't be compromised (Necessary Condition). 2) The Apex project demonstrates it will increase daytime traffic but keep nighttime noise unchanged.
Deconstructing the argument is necessary to spot the logical gap between the evidence provided and the final normative claim.
2
Analyze the logical gap in the argument.
The argument jumps from meeting a factual condition (keeping nighttime noise unchanged) to a normative conclusion (the project should be approved), while trying to distract the reader with a necessary condition rule ('only if' the character is not compromised).
Understanding the precise nature of the flaw or gap reveals what a justifying principle must accomplish.
3
Determine the requirements for the correct principle.
The correct principle must act as a sufficient condition that bridges an established factual premise directly to the conclusion: IF a project keeps nighttime noise unchanged, THEN it should be approved.
A 'Justify' question requires a principle that, when added to the premises, makes the conclusion 100% logically valid.
4
Evaluate the options against the required sufficient condition.
The correct option provides exactly this bridge, stating that demonstrating no increase in nighttime noise is sufficient for approval. Other options either provide necessary conditions, address the wrong gap, or mistakenly assume that satisfying a requirement guarantees approval.
This confirms that the selected option mathematically guarantees the conclusion while eliminating distractors.

Key Concept

Identifying Sufficient vs. Necessary Conditions in Argument Justification
Rate this question

Topics

Principle - Justify

More questions from this topic