Kevin: My barber shop sells an herbal supplement that, according to my barber, helps prevent baldness because it cont...

Skylar on June 28, 2020

@tkj97, happy to help!

(E) "rejects a claim merely because the person making the claim stands to benefit by doing so"

Let's make sure we understand what this answer choice means. Here, Sabine is the person rejecting the claim that the herbal supplement helps prevent baldness merely because Kevin's barber stands to benefit by making the claim. How does Kevin's barber benefit? By making money from selling the herbal supplement.

If we look at the passage, we see that this is exactly what Sabine does. Sabine discounts the claim immediately because there was motive to make it. However, we know that this is illogical. Just because someone has the motive to make a claim, does not mean that the claim must be false.

Does that make sense? Please let us know if you have any other questions!

JohnSummers on June 13 at 12:12AM

But the barber is not the one making the claim, Kevin is. The wording for this answer suggests that she is rejecting a claim that the barber is making, which is not the case.

Emil-Kunkin on June 21 at 09:51PM

I don't see what you're saying. Kevin is retelling a claim made by a barber, and she attacks it on the ground that the barber is self motivated. The barber is the person making the claim. The only claim that Kevin made is that his barber told him it helps. Clearly Sabine is not disputing the fact that the barber said it, but the truth of what the barber said.