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Zorluk: ZorAd Hominem (Source Argument)

Editorial: The Citizens for Safe Transit coalition recently issued a report arguing that the city's proposed highway expansion will increase traffic congestion, citing numerous urban planning studies. The coalition claims to be acting in the best interests of the public. However, the city council should disregard the coalition's report entirely. The coalition's primary financial backer is a billionaire with massive financial interests in the regional railway network—a direct competitor to the highway system. Since this backer's financial motives are clearly dictating the coalition's stance, the coalition's conclusion that the expansion will worsen congestion must be false.

Which of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the editorial's reasoning?

  1. It concludes that a claim is false merely by pointing out the self-serving motives of those advancing the claim, without evaluating the evidence provided to support it.Cevap
  2. B
    It takes for granted that the financial investments of the coalition's backer caused the coalition to adopt its position, based solely on a correlation between the two.
  3. C
    It relies on an illicit shift in the meaning of the word 'interests' from public concern to financial advantage.
  4. D
    It mistakes background information concerning the funding of the coalition's report for a premise that the report itself relies upon.
  5. E
    It rejects the coalition's conclusion based on an unstated assumption about the comparative efficiency of highway systems versus regional railways.

Cevap

The option stating that it concludes a claim is false merely by pointing out the self-serving motives of those advancing the claim, without evaluating the evidence provided to support it.
The editorial exhibits a classic Source Argument (Ad Hominem Circumstantial) flaw. The author concludes that the coalition's claim about traffic congestion is false. The only evidence provided for this conclusion is that the coalition's backer has a financial motive to oppose the highway. The author completely ignores the 'numerous urban planning studies' cited by the coalition. A claim cannot be proven false simply because the person making it has a vested interest in the outcome.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the conclusion of the editorial.
The main conclusion is that the coalition's claim ('the expansion will worsen congestion') must be false and that the city council should disregard the report.
Finding the main conclusion is the required first step in evaluating any LSAT Logical Reasoning argument.
2
Identify the premises used to support this conclusion.
The sole premise provided is that the coalition's primary financial backer has financial interests in a competing railway network, which allegedly dictates the coalition's stance.
Understanding the evidence allows us to spot the logical gap between the premises and the conclusion.
3
Evaluate the logical relationship between the premises and the conclusion to find the flaw.
The author dismisses an evidence-based claim (which cited 'numerous urban planning studies') completely on the basis of the speaker's potential bias or vested interest, without addressing the actual studies.
This matches the definition of an Ad Hominem Circumstantial (Source Argument) flaw.
4
Select the option that abstractly describes this specific flaw.
The correct option identifies that the argument rejects a claim based on self-serving motives without evaluating the supporting evidence.
This precisely matches our prephrase of the argument's structural vulnerability.

Anahtar Kavram

Ad Hominem Circumstantial (Source Argument)
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Konular

Ad Hominem (Source Argument)

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