PrepTest 159, Section 3, Question 14
Generally, open discussion of a false and pernicious(26 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- ADemocratic governments should(10 more words not shown)
- BSometimes it is(17 more words not shown)
- CNot all pernicious(3 more words not shown)
- DDiscussion and debate(11 more words not shown)
- EOne of the(10 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Think of the saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. The idea is that bringing a claim into the open lets people see what is wrong with it. That's the general pattern described here: discussion usually makes a false, harmful idea less appealing.
But the passage immediately gives exceptions. Some misconceptions are so attractive that debating them helps them gain popularity, even in a flourishing democracy. In those cases, putting an idea into public discussion doesn't make the falsehood lose ground. It may give that falsehood a larger audience of believers.
What we’re looking for
The question asks for a principle illustrated by those statements. I don't have a precise wording to predict, but I want to stay close to that contrast between the general pattern and the exceptions. Nothing here yet tells us what a government should do about the problem or whether the benefits of debate outweigh its costs.
Working the answers
- A
The passage describes an outcome of some debates; it doesn't authorize governments to suppress them. Even if debate sometimes spreads false ideas, deciding whether censorship is justified would require an additional judgment. We aren't given that judgment.
- B
This also moves from what happens to what is better. Debate might have other benefits that justify it despite spreading a misconception, but the passage doesn't discuss or weigh those benefits. It doesn't establish when discussion is the better choice.
- C
We aren't told how the whole category of pernicious ideas relates to the category of misconceptions. All pernicious ideas could be misconceptions, or some might not be. The statements concern what happens when certain ideas are discussed, not that broader classification.
- DCorrect
Discussion doesn't guarantee greater acceptance of the truth. The passage supplies the exception that establishes this: some false ideas gain popularity when debated. A general tendency for discussion to reduce the appeal of false ideas can coexist with cases where it does the opposite.
- E
An appealing idea's being false doesn't mean its falsity is what makes it appealing. People might like it for some other reason and not realize it is false. The passage tells us these misconceptions are alluring, but it doesn't identify falsehood itself as the source of their appeal.
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