PT90.S4.Q22 - Disagreement

h.e.willis03

Hi, I just finished this practice test and was very confused about why the answer to this question is E.

The stem is asking which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument. The argument can be summarized by the following: if a medieval epistemologist believed something, then it belongs to the broader category of medieval epistemology and vice versa.

The correct answer is: "there is much debate as to which medieval thinkers, if any, were epistemologists." The answer I chose is (paraphrased): some medieval epistemologists had beliefs that contradicted those of other medieval epistemologists.

Who cares if the first one is true? It's true that there is a debate, not that there for certain are no medieval epistemologists. Whereas, if the answer I chose were to be true, it introduces a clear contradiction (where X and not X are true at the same time). Could anyone help explain this? Thank you.

Nick Marsala

I think the large part that I am trying to make sense of is that 'vice versa' at the end. When you take; "if a medieval epistemologist believed something, then it belongs to the broader category of medieval epistemology and vice versa", and flip it to: "If it belongs to the broader category of medieval epistemology, then a medieval episteomolgist believed something". then the answer choice makes more sense.

But I do agree, so what, who cares? At least at first glance. Definitely a hard one.