Logical reasoning PrepTest 130 · Section 4 · Question 12

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Valid

Question Type:
Methods of Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
S: To survive, artists must make pop art, not great art, so government art subsidies are justified.

R: You assume pop art isn't their best art, so your argument is invalid.

Answer Anticipation:
"Your argument . . . depends on . . . " is a phrase that generally highlights an assumption made by an opposing argument, so Rahima's argument proceeds by highlighting an assumption of Sahira's argument and stating that it isn't necessarily true.

Answer Explanation:
Rahima states that Sahira's argument depends on an assumption that "need not be true," so this answer reflects her rebuttal.

Key Takeaway:
There are a few high-level considerations when analyzing a rebuttal to an argument. First, does the rebuttal state that the initial argument is wrong or invalid? Here, Rahima's conclusion is that Sahira's conclusion is unsupported, not that it was wrong. Second, what elements of the first argument does the rebuttal agree with and disagree with? Here, Rahima only talks about an assumption of Sahira's, not a stated premise or the conclusion. Walking through these two questions can provide enough context to answer most questions surrounding a rebuttal.

Incorrect. Rahima doesn't agree with Sahira's argument, so there's no independent support offered.

Incorrect. Rahima is silent on Sahira's conclusion, so we don't know if she accepts it. (Note that Rahima disagrees with Sahira's assumption and therefore the logic of her argument—she may or may not agree with the actual conclusion.)

Incorrect. Rahima doesn't talk about whether government art subsidies are justified, and she questions Sahira's assumption, so Rahima neither uses Sahira's premises nor reaches a different conclusion on Sahira's topic.

Incorrect. While Rahima does question an assumption of Sahira's, she doesn't do so on the grounds that it contradicts a premise or conclusion, but rather just that it's questionable.