PrepTest 125, Section 4, Question 5
Journalists agree universally that lying is absolutely taboo.(73 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(7 more words not shown)
- AReporters make little(4 more words not shown)
- BThere is no(16 more words not shown)
- COmission of the(7 more words not shown)
- DSince lying is(14 more words not shown)
- EReporters disagree on(7 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
They agree that lying is wrong. They don't agree on what counts as lying.
Think about cleaning up a spoken quote. A speaker might use filler words or take a long route to a point. Some reporters think making the quote more concise is legitimate; others insist on the exact words. We don't have to choose a side to see that the shared rule against lying doesn't settle their practice.
The undercover example makes the disagreement especially clear. Some reporters permit not identifying themselves when exposing wrongdoing. Others call that behavior lying. If they all prohibit lying but disagree over this behavior, the dispute concerns how to classify it.
What we’re looking for
The question asks what is most strongly supported. My prediction is that reporters draw the line differently. An answer could also state a narrower supported detail, but it can't turn a report of these competing views into a declaration about which view is morally correct.
Working the answers
- A
Disagreeing about the right approach doesn't show a lack of effort to behave ethically. Both groups could care deeply about accuracy and honesty while understanding their responsibilities differently. We aren't told how much effort reporters make.
- B
Disagreement doesn't establish that there is no correct answer. People could disagree even if one side is right. Also, the reporters are said to agree that lying is wrong; the disagreement concerns whether particular behavior counts as lying. B turns that disagreement into a broad claim about the absence of a moral answer.
- C
Some reporters condemn not identifying oneself as a form of lying. The passage reports that view without declaring it correct. It also doesn't establish a universal rule that every omission of truth is a lie. C turns one side's judgment into a fact the author hasn't supplied.
- D
The passage never establishes that lying is permissible in some situations. It says some reporters permit certain actions while others classify those actions as lying. Calling the reporters mistaken about lying being taboo would require taking a side on an issue the passage leaves unsettled.
- ECorrect
Reporters disagree over which behavior falls under the shared prohibition. The example of failing to identify oneself shows this directly: some allow it, while others condemn it as lying. We can identify that disagreement without deciding whose definition is right or whether the behavior should be permitted.
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