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Difficulty: HardComposition and Division (Part to Whole)

Urban planner: Critics of the proposed Metro Valley consolidation argue that the new district will be too densely populated and unmanageable. However, their fears are unfounded. Each of the individual municipalities slated for inclusion in the consolidation currently has a remarkably small population and ample open space. Therefore, the newly formed Metro Valley district as a whole will certainly have a remarkably small population.

Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the urban planner's reasoning?

  1. A
    It assumes that a property belonging to a larger composite group must also be attributable to each of the smaller units that comprise the group.
  2. It takes for granted that a consolidated entity must share a specific quantitative characteristic that is common to all of its constituent parts.Answer
  3. C
    It relies on a subtle shift in the meaning of the relative term 'small' when transitioning from describing individual towns to describing a regional district.
  4. D
    It assumes without warrant that the presence of ample open space is the primary cause of a municipality having a remarkably small population.
  5. E
    It overlooks the possibility that the residents of these municipalities might strongly oppose the consolidation plan despite the resulting population size.

Answer

The correct answer is the one stating that the argument takes for granted that a consolidated entity must share a specific quantitative characteristic common to its parts.
The argument exhibits a classic Flaw of Composition. It reasons that because each individual part (municipality) possesses a specific trait (a small population), the aggregated whole (the consolidated district) must also possess that exact same trait. This completely ignores the cumulative nature of population; adding together many small populations results in a large total population, making the argument's core assumption logically invalid.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the argument's premises and main conclusion.
Premise: Each individual municipality being consolidated has a small population. Conclusion: The newly formed district as a whole will have a small population.
Isolating the core argument structure is the first step in identifying logical vulnerabilities.
2
Analyze the logical relationship between the parts (municipalities) and the whole (district) regarding the specific attribute tested (population size).
Population is a cumulative metric. When you combine multiple entities, their populations add together. Therefore, combining many 'small' populations will inevitably result in a larger total population.
Understanding how the specific attribute behaves when aggregated reveals the mechanical failure in the reasoning.
3
Match the identified flaw to the abstract descriptions in the answer choices.
The argument incorrectly assumes that what is true of the parts must be true of the whole. This directly matches the description of taking for granted that a consolidated entity shares the characteristic of its constituent parts.
Flaw questions require selecting the choice that accurately describes the structural error without introducing irrelevant factors.

Key Concept

Composition and Division (Part to Whole)
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Topics

Composition and Division (Part to Whole)

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