Summarize Argument
The speaker concludes that businesses should use power responsibly in order to hold that power as long as possible. Why? Because according to history and the “Iron Law of Responsibility,” society will eventually act to disempower institutions it thinks are misusing power.
Notable Assumptions
The speaker assumes that a business must act responsibly in order for society to view it as responsible. She also assumes that when society tries to disempower an irresponsible business, it will have success. In addition, she assumes using power responsibly will not prevent a business from reaching the “long run.”
A
Government institutions are as subject to the Iron Law of Responsibility as business institutions.
This doesn’t mean businesses are exempt from that rule. This supports expanding the speaker’s argument to government institutions, but does not weaken her argument relating to businesses.
B
Public relations programs can cause society to consider an institution socially responsible even when it is not.
This challenges the speaker’s assumption that a business must act responsibly in order to be viewed as responsible. It implies businesses can hold their power by acting irresponsibly but maintaining good public relations.
C
The power of some institutions erodes more slowly than the power of others, whether they are socially responsible or not.
This is an irrelevant distinction between institutions. The speed of that erosion is not important to the speaker’s argument, because she admits the “long run” is different in each case.
D
Since no institution is eternal, every business will eventually fail.
This is fully compatible with the speaker’s argument. She explains how businesses should act to remain powerful as long as they can—she does not imply they can retain power forever.
E
Some businesses that have used power in socially responsible ways have lost it.
The speaker does not say that socially responsible businesses will last forever. She states only that social responsibility will maximize the time a business has power.
Sergio: No. Oceans have always been viewed as mysterious and unpredictable—qualities that people have invariably associated with eccentricity.
Speaker 1 Summary
Tina believes that the link between oceans and human eccentricity is probably due to the Renaissance practice of using ships as asylums. She doesn’t provide any support for this belief; she simply asserts that it’s true without providing a premise.
Speaker 2 Summary
Sergio concludes that the linkage between oceans and human eccentricity is not due to the practice of using ships as asylums. Oceans and human eccentricity have always been linked to each other, even before that practice emerged.
Objective
We’re looking for a point of disagreement. The speakers disagree about the origin of the link between oceans and human eccentricity. Tina thinks the link is due to the practice of using ships as asylums. Sergio does not think this is the origin.
A
Eccentric humans were considered socially undesirable during the European Renaissance.
Sergio doesn’t express an opinion. He doesn’t comment on people during the Renaissance or how they might have been viewed.
B
Oceans have always been viewed as mysterious and unpredictable.
Tina expresses no opinion about this. She comment about the linkage between oceans and human eccentricity. But she doesn’t comment on whether oceans have been viewed as mysterious and unpredictable.
C
The linkage between oceans and eccentricity explains the European Renaissance custom of using ships as asylums.
Sergio expresses no opinion. He believes the linkage did not result from ships as asylums. But whether the practice of ships as asylums resulted from the linkage is not discussed. (Tina probably disagrees with this answer, but it doesn’t matter, since Sergio has no opinion.)
D
People have never attributed the same qualities to oceans and eccentrics.
Tina expresses no opinion. She doesn’t comment on any of the qualities of oceans or whether they have been attributed to people.
E
The linkage between oceans and eccentricity predates the European Renaissance.
There is support for a disagreement. Tina thinks the origin of the linkage was a practice in the Renaissance. Sergio believes humans have “invariably” associated qualities of the ocean with eccentricity. To him, this suggests the linkage existed before the Renaissance.