Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardApplying the Negation Technique

Historian: The discovery of massive, continuous-burn fire pits at the center of the ancient settlement of Kaelen suggests that the society was governed by a centralized religious authority, rather than a diffuse council of elders as previously thought. After all, only a centralized authority could have organized the immense labor force required to maintain such large fires day and night.

Which of the following statements represent assumptions that, when logically negated, severely undermine the historian's conclusion? Select all that apply.

  1. The centralized authority that organized the labor force for Kaelen's fire pits was religious in nature.Answer
  2. A diffuse council of elders could not have functioned as the centralized authority in Kaelen.Answer
  3. C
    Any ancient settlement that was capable of organizing an immense labor force was governed by a centralized religious authority.
  4. D
    No ancient society governed by a council of elders was able to construct communal fire pits of any size.
  5. E
    The residents of Kaelen devoted the majority of their working hours to maintaining the central fire pits.

Answer

The correct statements are the one establishing that the centralized authority was religious in nature, and the one establishing that a diffuse council of elders could not have functioned as that centralized authority.
In Logical Reasoning, the Negation Technique dictates that the logical negation of a necessary assumption will destroy the argument. The historian's conclusion makes two specific leaps from the premises: first, it jumps from identifying a 'centralized authority' to specifically a 'centralized religious authority,' and second, it assumes that a 'diffuse council of elders' cannot function as a 'centralized authority.' The correct options articulate exactly these bridges. Negating them directly severs the logical connections, effectively destroying the conclusion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core structural components of the historian's argument.
The premise states that only a 'centralized authority' could organize the 'immense labor force' required. The conclusion is that Kaelen was governed by a 'centralized religious authority' rather than a 'diffuse council of elders'.
Deconstructing the argument into premises and conclusion is necessary to spot the logical gaps.
2
Locate the logical leaps or term shifts between the premises and the conclusion.
There are two major leaps: (1) from 'centralized authority' in the premise to 'centralized RELIGIOUS authority' in the conclusion, and (2) the assumption that a 'diffuse council of elders' cannot be a 'centralized authority'.
Necessary assumptions almost always exist to bridge novel concepts introduced in the conclusion back to the supporting premises.
3
Apply the Negation Technique to the answer choices to confirm necessity.
Negating the correct statements directly attacks the two logical leaps identified in Step 2. If the authority was NOT religious, or if a council of elders COULD function as a centralized authority, the conclusion completely collapses.
The defining characteristic of a necessary assumption is that the argument cannot survive if the assumption is proven false.

Key Concept

Applying the Negation Technique to identify necessary assumptions that bridge term shifts.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Applying the Negation Technique

More questions from this topic