Self-study
Conclusion The existing works of ancient literature, science, and philosophy do not represent the most original work produced in ancient times. ███ ████ ██████████ ████████ ███ ████ ████ ██ ████ ███ ████████ █████ ██████████ █████ ██ █████ █████ ████ ██ ██ ██████ █████
Summary
The ancient academic texts we have access to often refer to other texts that we do not have access to. Therefore, the ancient academic texts we have are not the most original ancient works.
Notable Assumptions
While this argument’s premise explains that even the oldest academic works we have reference other works, the conclusion then jumps to the claim that they are therefore not the most original ancient texts. The argument does not, however, explain why academic works that reference other academic works could not be the most original. We’re therefore looking for some statement that would explain why referencing other works makes these texts less original.
7.
Which one of the following ███████████ ██ █████ ██ ███ █████████ ████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████████
a
Works that contain ████████ ██████████ ██ █████ █████ ████ ██ ██ ███████████
This explains why the texts we have aren’t original - the fact that they reference other works means they are likely derivative, and it derivative works will not be the most original works.
b
Many extant works ████ ████████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ███ ███████ ██████
The argument isn’t about how well respected or praised the missing works are, but is about which texts are more original.
c
A surprisingly large ██████ ██ ███████ █████ ████ ████ █████████████ █████
Wrong trigger. The argument isn’t about how many texts have been found or were lost, but is rather about the claim that the texts we have are not original.
d
Subversive ideas tend ██ ██ ██████████ ████████ ████ ███ █████████
Wrong trigger. The argument doesn’t make any reference to subversiveness, and there is no suggestion that the missing works were suppressed.
e
Most current ideas ████████ ██ ████████ ████ ███████ ████████ ██ ███████ ██████
Wrong trigger. The argument isn’t about whether current ideas are original, but rather about whether the ancient texts we have are original.