Psychotherapy has been described as a form of moral coercion. However, when people are coerced, their ability to make...

Naz October 11, 2013

This argument ignores the possibility that just because the goal of psychotherapy is to enhance people's ability to make choices, that it doesn't mean that the practice or results of it actually achieve that goal. Just because one has goal X doesn't necessarily mean that they will end up achieving this goal. Answer choice (C) clearly states how the possibility that "the practice or results of psychotherapy might run counter to its goals," have been overlooked.

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

durazno3 April 1, 2017

I'm struggling with this one. Can you please break down the argument and answer choices? Thank you!

Mehran April 21, 2017

@durazno3 @Naz's response directly above your post breaks down the logical fallacy in this argument and why (C) is the correct answer.

Please let us know if you have any specific questions on the other answer choices. Thanks!

Ashley-Tien June 27, 2018

Why is D incorrect?

Christopher June 28, 2018

@Ashley-Tien, while it gets close, (D) doesn't point out the logical flaw. (D) takes more of a moral tone of "the end justifies the means," while the question doesn't really go there. The problem with the argument is that it rests on the argument that since the goal of psychotherapy is not coercive then the practice of psychotherapy is not coercive, which isn't logically sound. The goal and practice of something can often be quite different. So the flaw of the argument is (C) since it recognizes that the practice of psychotherapy could possibly be coercive even though the goal of the practice is to reduce coercion. So the flaw is not that the end justifies the means, as (D) says, but that the "means" aren't necessarily the same thing as the "goal," as (C) says.

Does that help?

Ashley-Tien September 28, 2018

how do you diagram "even if"? Is this sufficient or necessary?

Mehran October 3, 2018

@Ashley-Tien no, "even if" would not be considered a conditional statement.

You generally encounter "even if" when disproving a general principle (i.e. negating a S & N by showing sufficient without necessary).

For example:

"If A, then B"

A ==> B

"A even if not B"

A ==> not B

Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.

hyerim309 September 5, 2019

I read Naz's answer but my issue with this problem is that the argument makes a point in regards to the use of word "coercion" cannot be used to describe psychotherapy because it's very definition prevents people's ability to make choices, making it unattainable goal at all times (not sometimes unachievable). Could you tell me what it is I am not getting?

Kath October 29, 2019

Is the difference between C and D is that C says "if the goal is right, then the result is good", while the D says "if the goal is good, then the means are good"? Right?