Self-study
Support If something would have been justifiably regretted if it had occurred, then it is something that one should not have desired in the first place. ██ ███████ ████ ████ ███████ █████████ ██████ ███ ████ ████ ███████ ██ ███ █████ ██████
Summary
Many forgone pleasures shouldn’t have been desired in the first place. Why? Something that someone would have justifiably regretted if it had occurred is something that someone shouldn’t have desired in the first place.
Missing Connection
The conclusion is that some forgone pleasures shouldn’t have been desired in the first place, but the premises say nothing about forgone pleasures. How do we get from the premises to the conclusion? Based on the premises, we know that if something would’ve been justifiably regretted had it occurred, it’s something that shouldn’t have been desired in the first place. We can make the argument valid if we assume that some forgone pleasures would’ve been justifiably regretted had they occurred.
10.
The conclusion above follows logically ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ████████
a
One should never ██████ █████ ██████████
This says nothing about forgone pleasure, so it can’t be right. The conclusion is about forgone pleasure, yet the argument’s premise never raises the subject of forgone pleasure. (A) fails to explain what forgone pleasure has to do with desire or regret.
b
Forgone pleasures that ████ ███ ███████ █████ ███ ████ ████ ███████████ ██████████
The argument isn’t concerned with forgone pleasures that weren’t desired. The conclusion only discusses forgone pleasures that shouldn’t have been desired in the first place.
c
Everything that one ███████ ███ ████ ███████ ███ ██████ ██ █ ███████ █████████
We’re not concerned with what’s classified as a forgone pleasure. We need an answer choice that proves that some forgone pleasures shouldn’t have been desired in the first place.
d
Many forgone pleasures █████ ████ ████ ███████████ ██████████
If (D) is true, then many forgone pleasures would’ve been justifiably regretted, and if something would’ve been justifiably regretted, then it’s something that one shouldn’t have desired in the first place. Therefore, (D) guarantees the argument’s conclusion: many forgone pleasures should not have been desired in the first place.
e
Nothing that one ██████ ███ ████ ███████ ██ ███ █████ █████ █████ ██ ██ █ █████████
(E) addresses what sort of thing “fails to be a pleasure.” However, we need an answer choice that discusses forgone pleasure. Something that fails to be a pleasure in the first place isn’t the same as a forgone pleasure.