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Difficulty: MediumNecessary Assumption

Biologist: The recent 40 percent decline in our region's honeybee population is likely caused by the pesticide Hexa-Trol, which local orchards began using two years ago. Laboratory studies have definitively shown that the active chemical in Hexa-Trol is highly toxic to honeybees.

True or False: The biologist's argument logically requires the assumption that the honeybees in the region forage in areas where they are exposed to the pesticide applied by the local orchards.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The argument concludes that a specific pesticide is causing a population decline in the wild based on laboratory evidence of its toxicity. For this laboratory finding to explain the real-world decline, the wild bees must actually come into contact with the pesticide. If we apply the Negation Test and assume the bees are not exposed to the pesticide applied by the orchards, the entire argument falls apart. Therefore, this is a logically necessary assumption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main conclusion of the argument.
The conclusion is that the recent decline in the local honeybee population is likely caused by the pesticide Hexa-Trol.
Understanding the core claim is required to determine what unstated premises must be true for the claim to hold.
2
Identify the premises provided to support the conclusion.
The premises are: 1) The decline began after local orchards started using Hexa-Trol two years ago. 2) Laboratory studies show the chemical in Hexa-Trol is highly toxic to honeybees.
We must evaluate the explicit evidence the author uses to build the argument.
3
Locate the logical gap between the premises and the conclusion.
The argument jumps from the fact that a chemical is toxic in a controlled laboratory setting to the conclusion that it is actively killing bees in the wild.
Necessary assumptions often bridge the gap between theoretical or isolated evidence and real-world outcomes.
4
Apply the Negation Test to the provided statement to see if it is strictly necessary.
Negated statement: The honeybees are NOT exposed to the pesticide applied by the local orchards. If this negated statement is true, the pesticide cannot possibly be the cause of their decline, completely destroying the argument.
The Negation Test is the definitive method to prove whether an assumption is logically necessary for an argument to survive.

Key Concept

Necessary Assumption
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Topics

Necessary Assumption

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