Evan: I am a vegetarian because I believe it is immoral to inflict pain on animals to obtain food. Some vegetarians w...

wills on April 24, 2019

Can we get this answered?

Victoria on April 28, 2019

Hi @EmilyMarieMenendez and @wills,

Evan states that they are a vegetarian because they believe it is immoral to inflict pain on animals to obtain food.

Some vegetarians who share this belief eat seafood because they do not know whether certain sea creatures can experience pain.

Evan argues that, if it is truly wrong to inflict needless suffering, we should refrain from eating seafood despite the fact that we are unsure whether sea animals can feel pain.

There are three sections to Evan's argument:
1) Belief - it is immoral to inflict pain on animals to obtain food
2) Actions of those who share belief - eat seafood because unsure whether sea animals feel pain
3) Result - extend the benefit of the doubt and refrain from eating seafood

Overall, the principle posed by Evan suggests that, in the face of uncertainty, we should extend the benefit of the doubt and pursue the most morally positive course of action.

Let's go through the answer choices to see which statement conforms most closely to Evan's principle.

Answer Choice B:

We do not know whether all owners of defective vehicles know that their vehicles are being recalled. Therefore, we should expect that some defective vehicles have not been returned.

This is incorrect as it is stating that we do not know whether a group knows about a situation. Therefore, we should expect that not all of those in the group have acted on the situation.

Answer Choice C:

We should not use incentives such as reduced taxes to attract businesses to the region. These incentives would attract businesses only interested in short-term profits. This would make the region's economy less stable due to the lack of long-term commitment by these businesses.

This is incorrect as there is no uncertainty. The author is arguing that we should not pursue a course of action as it would result in negative effects to the region.

Answer Choice D:

Updating the security system on the computers could result in new contracts. There are no current problems, but emphasizing the state-of-the-art system in new proposals could provide benefits. If there are no new contracts, the system could be financed through higher fees for current contracts.

This is incorrect as it is arguing that pursuing the course of action could provide benefits and provides a suggestion for an alternative course of action if the potential benefits are not received.

Answer Choice E:

Allende lived through tragic events, therefore, her novels must have been inspired by her memories of those events. Allende's characters are hopeful and full of joy, which indicates that her view of life has not been negatively impacted by her experiences.

This is incorrect as it initially argues that the novels have been impacted by past memories of tragic events, but then, based on the assumption that Allende's characters reflect her view of life, contradicts itself by arguing that the novels were not impacted by her experiences.

Answer Choice A:

I do not know if I have repaid Farah. Farah is uncertain whether I repaid her. Therefore, I should repay her to be certain that I have.

This is the correct answer as it most closely mirrors the principle illustrated by Evan's criticism of vegetarians who eat seafood, suggesting that, in the face of uncertainty, one should act in the most morally positive way. Neither Farah nor the author are sure whether Farah has been repaid, so the author should extend the benefit of the doubt and pursue the most morally positive course of action by repaying Farah.

Hope this was helpful! Please let us know if you have any further questions.