X: Conclusion Medical research on animals should not be reduced in response to a concern for animals, because Support results of such research serve to avert human suffering. ██ ████ ████████ █ █████████ ███████ █████ ███ ██████ ███████ ██ ██████ ███████████ ███ ██ ██████ ████ ███████ ██████ ██ █████ ████████
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To understand how Y's response relates to X's argument, we must first understand X's argument. X concludes that a concern for animals doesn't justify reducing medical research on animals. Why not? Because this research improves human welfare. According to X, medical research will always require trading off animal and human welfare, and human welfare is just more important.
Y only makes a factual claim, that a lot of research currently performed on animals could in fact be conducted with computer modeling, or using human subjects who would not have to suffer. This claim nonetheless leads to the unstated conclusion that X is mistaken about at least one fact.
Why? Because Y's claim is directly in conflict with X's premise that a trade-off between animal and human suffering will always be necessary in medical research. If Y's claim is true, then no trade-off is necessary—neither animals nor humans need to suffer.
The relationship of Y’s response ██ █████ ████████ ██ ████ █████ ████████
contradicts a premise ██ █████ █████ ████████ ██████
X claims that
disagrees with X █████ ███ ██████ ██ ██ █████ ██ ██████ █████████ ██ ███████ ██ █████ █████████
Y doesn't weigh in on whether animal or human suffering is more important. Y's claim aims to show that some medical research can be conducted without any suffering, animal or human. This doesn't imply a particular position on the weight given to each.
presents a logical ███████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ █████ ████████
Y doesn't trace X's argument to its logical conclusion—Y can't do that, because Y denies one of X's premises. By claiming that some research can be performed with neither humans nor animals suffering, Y denies that
strengthens X’s argument ██ ██████████ ████████ ███ █████████ ██ █
Y's claim doesn't strengthen X's argument, it undermines X's argument. Y's claim directly contradicts one of X's premises, that
supplies a premise ██ █████ ████████ ████ ███ ███ ██████████ ██████
Like (D), (E) mistakes Y's attitude toward X's argument. Y doesn't aim to help X's argument or add premises to it. Instead, Y weakens X's argument by contradicting one of X's premises. Where X says that
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