Logical reasoning PrepTest 145 · Section 2 · Question 8

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen (Principle)

Stimulus Summary:
The internet has created new crimes, in part because it's impersonal, which means people feel less morally constrained. So people should be educated on the ethical use of the internet.

Answer Anticipation:
Strengthen (Principle) questions are all about connecting the judgment in the conclusion to the details in the premise.

Here, the conclusion is that people should be educated on using the internet ethically. Why? Because the impersonal nature of it has led people to acting immorally on it. The correct answer, therefore, should connect ethical education to an increase in moral responsibility.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects the two ideas we were looking to connect. The stimulus wanted to teach people about the ethical use of the internet because it's currently being used unethically. If teaching people about ethics increases their moral responsibility, then that argument is supported. Note that normally we'd be looking for an answer that establishes what "should" be done since that was a key part of the conclusion, and so this might be an answer that we defer on and then reconsider after eliminating the other answers, but this Strengthen (Principle) question asks us to find the answer that "most helps to justify" the conclusion, so we don't need an answer that fully justifies it.

Key Takeaway:
While most Strengthen (Principle) questions end up with answers that get close to (if not) fully justifying the conclusion, some don't—especially if the question stem notes that the correct answer will "most help[]" to justify it. If an answer connects relevant ideas, defer on it and come back after you've eliminated the rest, even if it doesn't fully connect the key ideas.

Incorrect. There's no indication that existing ethical guidelines are falling short—it could be that people just aren't applying them to the internet and need to be taught how to do so. This answer also doesn't address educating people about ethics, or about how they connect to morality, so it doesn't address the specifics of the argument.

Incorrect. This answer runs counter to the argument, which believes that teaching the ethical usage of the internet will prevent harm.

Incorrect. Two issues. First, this answer doesn't address educating people about ethics at all, which is what the conclusion was all about. Second, there's no need for harm to be necessary for moral constraint for this argument to work—as long as harm is a consideration in morality, the argument works.

Incorrect. Culpability is out of scope—the argument is about finding a way to reduce this harm, not to blame people for it.