PrepTest 143, Section 2, Question 20
Passage A Saint Augustine wrote that to proceed(489 more words not shown)
Passage A(250 more words not shown)
Passage B(247 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(47 more words not shown)
- AResponding to pathological(6 more words not shown)
- BRationality cannot be(5 more words not shown)
- CPathological liars, if(10 more words not shown)
- DHaving the right(16 more words not shown)
- ETo model one's(13 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
The reference to B's first paragraph matters. Its authorization argument applies when rational people act toward others: their rational conduct licenses comparable treatment. A, however, says the harmless pathological liar's stories do not supply sufficient reason to lie to him.
What we’re looking for
One way to reconcile those claims is to show that pathological lying does not satisfy the rationality condition. Then this behavior would not generate permission through that particular argument. We don't have to show that all possible reasons for lying disappear; we need to explain why this Kantian reasoning need not authorize this response.
Working the answers
- A
This judges the rationality of our response. The relevant condition is whether the liar's own behavior counts as rational conduct that authorizes comparable treatment. A does not address that condition.
- BCorrect
If pathological behavior cannot reasonably be treated as rational, the liar's stories fall outside the first paragraph's authorization argument. They therefore need not supply the permission that rationally chosen conduct would supply. That helps reconcile A's conclusion with the Kantian view.
- C
This treats the liar as satisfying the rational-agency requirement, reinforcing the basis for comparable treatment rather than explaining why the stories fail to provide it.
- D
This is tempting because B does distinguish rights from duties. But A says the stories are insufficient reason to lie, not merely that lying is optional. Having permission without an obligation does not resolve that stronger issue, and the question specifically targets the first paragraph's authorization argument.
- E
Lowering our standards is a concern raised in A. Repeating that concern does not explain how the liar's conduct fits, or falls outside, B's rationality-based authorization. It leaves the particular tension unresolved.
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