QUESTION TEXT: Politician: Union leaders argue that increases in…
QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning
CONCLUSION: Legislators shouldn’t listen to union leaders.
REASONING: Union leaders have a reason to argue against multinational control of corporations.
ANALYSIS: This argument makes an ad hominem flaw. We should attack someone’s argument, not their personality.
Most people have vested interests in the arguments they make. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong.
___________
- Tempting, but not quite. The author doesn’t say that everything union members say is wrong. They are only criticizing union members in this instance due to possible bias.
Example of flaw: John says that the sky is blue. But John is a union member, so he must be wrong. - Also tempting. But this isn’t the same flaw. The author said union members are wrong because they have a vested interest. Having a vested interest is not the same thing as having a discernible motivation.
Example of flaw: John is arguing for puppy protection laws, because John wants to help puppies. Since I can discern John’s motives, he must be wrong. - CORRECT. This matches. The unions have a vested interest in wages, so that might affect their argument. But the author should have attacked the argument itself, not the union leaders.
- The author didn’t say this.
Example of flaw: The union leaders gave a piece of evidence. Therefore, that must be all of their evidence. - The author didn’t say this.
Example of flaw: Some union leaders argue against multinational control. So every single union leader on planet Earth must agree.
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Ben says
I think the real reason B is wrong is that it uses the word “anyone” when only “union members” is assumed. It also uses “information” which is a looser term than argument.