PrepTest 110, Section 3, Question 20
Critic: Political utility determines the popularity of a(51 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AIn authoritarian societies,(15 more words not shown)
- BEvery society tries(12 more words not shown)
- CThe metaphor of(11 more words not shown)
- DAuthoritarian leaders are(14 more words not shown)
- EThe metaphor of(15 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A common metaphor isn't automatically the most effective one.
I can see how describing society as a body with a head might help an authoritarian leader. It makes central control sound like something needed for society to function. But the author gives us no comparison with other metaphors. Maybe the family metaphor is also widespread and politically useful.
The first premise says political usefulness determines a metaphor's popularity. Even if we accept that premise, knowing the body metaphor is pervasive doesn't tell us that it promotes greater acceptance of repression than another metaphor does. We haven't learned how popular those alternatives are. The argument jumps from evidence about one metaphor to a claim that it does a better job than its competitors.
What we’re looking for
To weaken that comparison, I'd look for another metaphor that is just as common in authoritarian societies. On the author's own account of popularity and usefulness, that would make it harder to treat the body metaphor's popularity as evidence that it is especially effective.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
The family metaphor is just as pervasive. The author specifically names that metaphor as one the body metaphor outperforms, but now we learn it has the same popularity in authoritarian societies.
If political usefulness determines popularity, equal popularity gives us a reason to question the claim of greater usefulness. At the least, the body's pervasiveness can no longer distinguish it from this alternative. A attacks the missing comparison without needing to show that either metaphor has no political effect.
- B
Every society might use metaphors to justify its government. That doesn't tell us which metaphor more effectively promotes acceptance of authoritarian repression. B gives a broad fact about using metaphors, while the argument ranks particular metaphors for a particular purpose.
- C
A metaphor could serve more than one political purpose or appear in more than one kind of society. Its occasional use outside authoritarian societies doesn't establish that it is less effective than the family metaphor at promoting acceptance of authoritarian repression. C doesn't give the comparison the conclusion needs.
- D
Searching for new metaphors doesn't show that the leaders find ones that work as well as the body metaphor. The search could continue even if that metaphor remained their most useful option. We need evidence against the claimed comparative effectiveness, not merely evidence that leaders would like more options.
- E
Rare use in liberal democracies tells us little about which metaphor works best for authoritarian repression. The body metaphor could be rare there while being either more or less effective than the family metaphor in authoritarian societies. E compares political settings instead of supplying the missing comparison between metaphors.
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