Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author asks us to agree that Hogan’s actions shouldn’t be condemned entirely, even though Hogan knowingly and intentionally injured Winters. What could support letting Hogan partially off the hook? Well, Hogan thought Winters was a robber, which the author thinks should lessen the degree to which we blame Hogan.
Identify Conclusion
The author’s conclusion is their opinion of Hogan’s blameworthiness: “Hogan’s actions [should] not be wholly condemned.”
A
Hogan should not be considered responsible for the injuries sustained by Winters.
This is stronger than what the argument claims. The author wants us to refrain from “wholly condemning” Hogan, but that doesn’t mean not holding him responsible at all.
B
The robber who had been terrorizing west-side apartment buildings should be considered to be as responsible for Winters’s injuries as Hogan.
The author never discusses whether the robber should be held responsible, let alone how the responsibility should be divided. This is just beyond the scope of the argument.
C
The actions of Hogan that seriously injured Winters are not completely blameworthy.
This accurately restates the conclusion. When asking us to agree that Hogan “not be fully condemned,” the author is trying to convince us that Hogan was not completely blameworthy. The argument then offers support for this claim, meaning it’s the conclusion.
D
Hogan thought that Winters was the person who had been terrorizing west-side apartment buildings for the last few months.
This is stated in the argument but no support is offered, so it can’t be a conclusion. Instead, this statement is a premise to support the conclusion that Hogan wasn’t entirely to blame.
E
The actions of Hogan that seriously injured Winters were reprehensible, other things being equal.
This can be inferred from the argument, but it’s more of a contextual claim to explain why the author needs to convince us that Hogan shouldn’t be fully condemned. This idea is what the author argues against, or at least tries to qualify.