Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardMain Point

Consider the following argument:

Marine Biologist: Commercial entities argue that deep-sea polymetallic nodule harvesting will have negligible ecological consequences because the abyssal plain lacks high organismal density. However, this assessment overlooks the extraordinarily slow metabolic rates of abyssal benthic fauna. Because metabolic turnover and reproductive cycles in these cold, high-pressure ecosystems operate over centuries rather than years, localized physical disturbances to benthic substrate remain unrecovered for millennia. Consequently, any disruption to nodule fields inflicts irreversible damage on these unique habitats. Therefore, international regulatory bodies must establish an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining exploitation.

Arrange the key propositions of the argument in order of their logical progression, starting from the foundational empirical evidence, advancing through the intermediate conclusions, and ending with the overarching main conclusion.

  1. 1Abyssal benthic organisms exhibit metabolic turnover and reproductive cycles spanning centuries.
  2. 2Localized physical disturbances to the abyssal seabed remain unrecovered for thousands of years.
  3. 3Industrial disruption of deep-sea nodule fields inflicts irreversible damage on benthic habitats.
  4. 4International regulatory bodies must institute an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining exploitation.

Answer

The correct logical order progresses from the foundational biological premise (centuries-long metabolic and reproductive cycles), to the initial sub-conclusion (physical disturbances persist for millennia), to the broader sub-conclusion (habitat damage is irreversible), to the ultimate main conclusion (regulatory bodies must impose an immediate mining moratorium).
In this argument, the author builds a multi-tiered deductive chain: the baseline biological evidence concerning multi-century organismal life cycles logically necessitates that physical disruption persists for millennia. This in turn proves that nodule extraction causes irreversible habitat damage, which ultimately justifies the author's primary conclusion that an immediate international regulatory moratorium must be enacted.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the foundational premise that receives no evidentiary support within the argument.
The statement detailing that abyssal benthic organisms have metabolic and reproductive cycles spanning centuries is supported by no other claim and functions as the foundational empirical premise.
Foundational premises provide the evidential grounding for all downstream inferences.
2
Trace the initial inference directly supported by the foundational premise.
Because metabolic cycles take centuries, localized physical disturbances take millennia to recover.
This functions as an intermediate conclusion that bridges the biological fact to the persistence of physical disruption.
3
Trace the second-tier inference derived from the persistence of seabed disruption.
Because disturbances persist for millennia, disruptions to nodule fields constitute irreversible ecological damage.
This is a subsidiary conclusion refuting the opposing view that mining impacts are negligible.
4
Isolate the ultimate prescriptive conclusion that receives support from the preceding sub-conclusions.
Because irreversible ecological damage will occur, international regulatory bodies must enact an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining.
This is the overarching main point of the argument to which all other structural elements logically lead.

Key Concept

Argument Structure and Main Point Identification
Estimated Time:2m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Main Point

More questions from this topic