Self-study
Scientists hoping to understand and eventually reverse damage to the fragile ozone layer in the Earth's upper atmosphere used a spacecraft to conduct crucial experiments. █████ ███████████ ████ █████████ ████ █ █████ ██ █████████████████ ███ ████████ ████ █ ██████ ████ ██ ███ ██████████ ███ ██ ████ ████ ██ ███ █████ █████ ██ █ ██████ █████████ ██ ███ ███████ ████████ ███ ████ █████ ███ ██████ ███ █████████████ ██ ████ ██ ███ ███████
Summarize Argument
The environmentalists conclude that, since the damage done to the ozone layer by a year’s pollution from the average factory is unjustifiable, and the spacecraft’s trip did as much damage to the ozone layer as a year’s pollution from an average factory, the spacecraft’s trip was unjustifiable.
Identify and Describe Flaw
The environmentalists reason that since a single trip by the spacecraft does as much damage to the ozone layer as a year’s pollution from the average factory, which is unjustifiable, the spacecraft’s trip was unjustifiable. However, the environmentalists’ criticism is questionable because it neglects the possibility that, unlike pollution from a factory, a trip by the spacecraft may ultimately benefit the ozone layer.
15.
The reasoning in the environmentalists' █████████ ██ ████████████ ███████ ██
a
treats as similar ███ █████ ████ ███ █████████ ██ █ ████████ ███████
This is how the environmentalists’ argument errs. While a single trip by the spacecraft may do as much damage to the ozone layer as a year’s pollution by a factory, the spacecraft’s trips have the potential to help the ozone layer in a way that factories don’t.
b
justifies a generalization ██ ███ █████ ██ █ ██████ ████████
The environmentalists don’t justify a generalization. They only say that trips by the spacecraft are unjustified because of the damage they do to the ozone layer.
c
fails to distinguish ███ ████ ██ █████████ ███████ ███████ ████ ███ ████ ██ ██████████ █████ ███████ ███████
The environmentalists don’t have to distinguish these goals. They only discuss the scientists’ goal of reversing the harm that has been done to the ozone layer.
d
attempts to compare ███ ██████████ ████ ███ ███ ██████████ ██ ███ ███
The spacecraft and an average factory are comparable, as they both damage the ozone layer.
e
presupposes that experiments ██████ ██ ████ ██ █████ ████████
We don’t know if they presuppose this. The environmentalists only discuss the spacecraft experiment and never state that all experiments harm their subjects.