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Difficulty: MediumWeaken

Read the following argument:

Mayor: To boost local tourism, we should allocate municipal funding to restore the historic Riverton Mill. Our neighboring town, Greendale, restored their historic train station last year, and they saw a 25 percent increase in tourist visits this summer. Therefore, restoring our mill will similarly increase Riverton's tourist visits.

Evaluate the following statement: The mayor's argument is actively weakened by the fact that Riverton's historic mill is structurally compromised and will require significantly more funding to restore than Greendale's train station did.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The correct answer is False. In Logical Reasoning, when evaluating a proposed plan, you must strictly focus on the stated conclusion. The mayor concludes that the restoration will 'increase Riverton's tourist visits.' A fact about the financial cost of the restoration does not impact its tourist appeal and therefore does not weaken the argument.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the conclusion of the mayor's argument.
The conclusion is that restoring the mill will increase Riverton's tourist visits.
Understanding the exact claim being made is essential, as any weakening evidence must directly attack this specific claim.
2
Identify the premises supporting the conclusion.
The premise is an analogy to Greendale, which saw a 25 percent increase in tourism after restoring its historic train station.
Weakening an argument often involves showing why the premises do not necessarily lead to the conclusion, such as finding a flaw in an analogy.
3
Analyze the impact of the new statement on the argument.
The new statement introduces a practical and financial challenge (higher cost due to structural compromise).
This step determines whether the new information attacks the causal link or addresses an unrelated issue.
4
Determine if the statement actively weakens the conclusion.
The statement does not weaken the argument because the cost of restoration has no bearing on whether tourists will actually visit the completed mill.
Attacking the feasibility of a plan does not weaken a conclusion that is strictly about the plan's efficacy.

Key Concept

Scope Shift and Evaluating Proposed Plans
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Topics

Weaken

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