Two things are true of all immoral actions. First, if they are performed in public, they offend public sensibilities....
ShirnelMarch 15, 2020
Distinguishing between answer choices A, C and D
Each of these answer choices uses quantifiers (haven't done this section yet so I hope I'm using the right term here).
I immediately chose A however once I read C and D I got a little confused. I deduced that A is the answer because C and D are both using the necessary condition first and A used the sufficient condition first. Now even though I noticed this, I have no idea why or how to explain why A must be false and C and D are not necessarily false. Please explain.
Replies
Create a free account to read and
take part in forum discussions.
Yes, you are using the correct term- "some" and "most" statements are called quantifiers. Completing the quantifiers lesson should help you to better understand this problem.
In answering this question, let's first look to the passage. It gives us the following two S->N statements:
IA + P -> OPS Contrapositive: not OPS -> not IA or not P
IA -> G Contrapositive: not G -> not IA
Next, we are tasked with identifying the answer choice that must be false.
Answer choice (A) can be diagrammed as: IA + not P - some - not G This is an impossible statement, because the second S->N statement the passage gave us was: IA -> G. Therefore, all immoral actions bring guilty feelings. This makes it is impossible to have some immoral actions that do not bring guilty feelings, regardless of if the actions are performed in public. This means that (A) must be false and is the correct answer.
Answer choice (C) can be diagrammed as: OPS + P - some - not G This diagram says nothing about IA, which is the Sufficient condition for G. Since we don't know, this means that the action in question could either be moral or immoral. If the action is moral, it could be true that there are no guilty feelings. If the action is immoral, there would have to be guilty feelings. Since we cannot make assumptions that the action is immoral, there exists a possibility that it is not/there are no guilty feelings. So, (C) could be true and is incorrect.
Answer choice (D) can be diagrammed as: G + OPS - some - not IA. G and OPS are never the Sufficient condition in the passage. Therefore, they do not trigger anything specific, and the diagram is possible. So, (D) could be true and is incorrect.
Does that make sense? Please let us know if you have any other questions and best of luck with your studies!
erikreyesatxMarch 18, 2020
Why not E?
BenMingovMarch 19, 2020
Hi Erikreyesatx, thanks for the question.
The reason that answer choice E is incorrect is because it does not go against any condition. It is possible that every action performed in public that is accompanied by feelings of guilt is immoral. This would not contradict either of the two conditions.
You can look at it like a new condition with a new sufficient.
Performed in public + accompanied by feelings of guilt -> ???
We have no idea what this sufficient guarantees. For this reason it is possible that it guarantees immorality.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
