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Difficulty: EasyIdentifying Necessary Assumptions

Consider the following argument.

Marine Biologist: To restore the local sea otter population, we must restrict commercial fishing in the bay. Commercial fishing depletes the population of sea urchins, which are the primary food source for sea otters in this region, so limiting fishing will lead to an increase in otter numbers.

Statement: The marine biologist's argument logically requires the assumption that restricting commercial fishing in the bay will succeed in increasing the population of sea urchins.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True. The argument inherently requires the assumption that limiting fishing will successfully increase the sea urchin population.
The statement correctly identifies an unstated premise strictly required by the argument. The argument's entire causal chain depends on the fishing restriction actually restoring the urchin population; without this taking place, the conclusion that otter numbers will increase cannot logically follow.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core of the argument.
Premise: Commercial fishing depletes urchins (otter food). Conclusion: Limiting fishing will increase otter numbers.
Understanding the logical gap between the premise and the conclusion is the first step in finding the assumption.
2
Apply the Negation Technique to the given statement.
Negated statement: Restricting commercial fishing will NOT succeed in increasing the population of sea urchins.
The Negation Technique tests if an assumption is strictly necessary by seeing if its opposite destroys the argument.
3
Evaluate the impact of the negated statement on the conclusion.
If the urchin population does not increase, the otters will not gain their primary food source, and their numbers will not increase. The conclusion is destroyed.
Because the negated statement completely undermines the argument's conclusion, the original statement is confirmed as a necessary assumption.

Key Concept

Identifying Necessary Assumptions via the Negation Technique
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Topics

Identifying Necessary Assumptions

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