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Help with identifying some flaws and necessary assumptions in an answer choice

n76543kl-1n76543kl-1 Core Member
in Logical Reasoning 31 karma

I would like some help in identifying some ways in which the following passage could be flawed: both if it were to be modified and also as it is currently. In other words, what would I have to modify in order to make the passage flawed, if it is not already? Some necessary assumptions for the following passage would also be much appreciated.

"In the past 1,000 experiments, whenever an experimental fungicide was applied to coffee plants infected with coffee rust, the infection disappeared. The coffee rust never disappeared before the fungicide was applied. Therefore, in these experiments, application of the fungicide caused the disappearance of coffee rust."

Thank you

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  • maco4538maco4538 Alum Member
    edited July 2023 323 karma

    This is a causal argument which come with a set of necessary assumptions:

    1. the correlation reflects a causation
    • there has never been an instance where the fungicide was not administered, and the infection went away on its own
    1. nothing else can explain the effect
    • insects who feasted on the coffee plant did not eat any of the rust.
    1. the cause is not being confused with the effect
    • the scientists did not purposely apply the fungicide to only the plants that had a special gene that allowed the plant to rid itself of the infection.
  • n76543kl-1n76543kl-1 Core Member
    31 karma

    This is perfect, thank you for taking the time to answer.

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