Self-study
Meade: Support People who are injured as a result of their risky behaviors not only cause harm to themselves but, because Support we all have important ties to other people, Support inevitably impose emotional and financial costs on others. ██ ███████ ███ █████████ ██ ███████ ██████████ ███████████ ███ █████████ ██ █████████ ████████ ████ ████ █████ ███ ██████ ██ █████
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that, for the purpose of protecting others, governments are justified in outlawing behavior that puts one’s own health at risk. This is based on the fact that people who cause harm to themselves can also impose emotional and financial costs on others with whom they have important ties.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that preventing harm to others is a purpose that justifies restricting behavior that puts one’s own health at risk. The author overlooks the possibility that, despite the harm that one’s own self-harmful behavior might cause to others, there are reasons governments would not be justified in restricting this behavior.
17.
Which one of the following ███████████ ██ ██████ ████ ██████████ ███ █████████ ██ ███████ █████████
a
Endangering the social ████ ████ ███ ███ ██ █████ ██████ ██ ██████ █ ████ ██ ████████
This simply describes another potential harm that might result from behavior that harms oneself, if such behavior can threaten one’s social ties. This doesn’t suggest governments might not be justified in restricting self-harmful behavior.
b
People who have █████████ ████ ██ ██████ ████ █ ████████ ██████████ ███ ██ ███ █████ ███ ██████ ██ █████
This relates to one’s own personal obligations. But the argument is about what the government is allowed to do.
c
Governments are not █████████ ██ ████████ ██ ████████████ ████████ ██████ ████ ████████ ███████ █████████ ██ █████████ █████ ██ ███████
This isn’t inconsistent with the author’s reasoning. Justification may be limited to those cases in which one’s behavior imposes costs on others. The stimulus describes one of those cases.
d
Preventing harm to ██████ ██ ███ ██ ██████ █ ██████████ █████████████ ███ ████ ████ █████ ████████ ████████
This shows that the potential harm posed to others cannot, by itself, justify restrictions on one’s behavior.
e
People's obligation to █████ ███████ ██████ █████████ █████ ██████████ ██ █████ ███████ ███████████
This concerns people’s own obligations. But the argument is about what the government is justified in doing.