PrepTest 149, Section 1, Question 8
Lopez: Our university is not committed to liberal(55 more words not shown)
Warrington's argument proceeds(1 more words not shown)
- Aoffering additional reasons(8 more words not shown)
- Bclaiming that the(11 more words not shown)
- Cmounting a direct(7 more words not shown)
- Dresponding to a(8 more words not shown)
- Epresenting a consideration(9 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Closing a department doesn't have to end the activity.
My first reaction to Lopez is that liberal arts includes more than classics. What about history or political science? Lopez then says classical study itself is essential. Fine—but why must it happen in a separate classics department? A history or literature department could still teach the classical works.
What we’re looking for
That's Warrington's response. Warrington accepts the importance of the study and questions the need for this particular department. For the strategy question, I'd describe the move as introducing another way to study classics, which breaks Lopez's connection between closing the department and abandoning the liberal arts.
Working the answers
- A
Warrington isn't adding support for Lopez's claim that the university lacks commitment. The response gives us a reason the department's closure might not indicate that lack of commitment. It challenges Lopez's reasoning rather than reinforces it.
- B
Lopez mentions the Renaissance, but Warrington doesn't attack the argument for relying on tradition. In fact, Warrington accepts that classical study is essential. The objection concerns whether an essential activity requires a separate department, not whether a long-standing practice deserves respect.
- C
This is tempting because Warrington certainly challenges Lopez. But the direct target is the reasoning used to reach the conclusion. Warrington doesn't establish the opposite conclusion, that this university is committed to liberal arts. It might lack commitment for some other reason. Showing that other departments can study classics shows why this particular reason doesn't settle the matter.
- D
Responding to an objection to Lopez's reasoning would mean helping that reasoning survive a criticism. Warrington is supplying the criticism: the university could support classical study through other departments. Warrington raises an objection rather than answers one on Lopez's behalf.
- ECorrect
The consideration is that other departments often engage in classical study. That undermines the assumption that closing the classics department means the university no longer supports something essential to liberal arts. Study of the subject can continue even when the separate administrative department does not.
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