Logical reasoning PrepTest 122 · Section 4 · Question 6

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Phenomenon - Centaur myths popped up in several cultures around the time people started using horses more, but these creatures were violent whereas horses are gentle
General info - Myths generally express unconscious thoughts
Conclusion - People unconsciously fear horses

Answer Anticipation:
This argument brings up a phenomenon and then concludes an explanation for it. The presence of violent centaurs (half horse, half man) in myths is explained by an unconscious fear of horses.

The argument does connect myth to thoughts (including fears) by stating that myths generally express unconscious thoughts, so these violent myths do likely highlight an unconscious fear of something. However, the centaurs don't necessarily reflect a fear of horses—maybe it's a fear of people and their beast-like nature that people are afraid of, and the horse element showed up not because of a fear of horses but because they were a prominent "beast" in culture at the time.

Or maybe the centaurs represent change, or any number of other things. In assuming that the myths of centaurs represent thoughts on horses, this argument ignores other possibilities. Let's find an answer stating that.

Answer Explanation:
Elements of myths do tend to reflect unconscious thoughts, so the savage nature of these myths likely highlight an unconscious fear. However, there are more elements to the myths than just the horse part of the creatures, and so the myth might represent a fear of something else. This answer highlights that the centaurs might not represent horses, thus invalidating the explanation put forward in the stimulus. It is therefore correct.

Key Takeaway:
Whenever an argument raises a phenomenon and then concludes an explanation for it, always consider alternative explanations.

Incorrect. The argument isn't about whether the fear expressed in the myths is rational, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. It's unclear what the suppression of unconscious thoughts has to do with this argument, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. A culture borrowing a myth from another can still express an unconscious fear of the borrowing culture. They may only adopt myths of others that reflect something they think, as well.

Incorrect. It doesn't matter why this happens, just that it does. An argument doesn't need to establish the reason for any given phenomenon unless the argument is about that reason. Here, the connection between myth and unconscious thought is presented as a premise, so there's no need to explore the reasoning behind it.