You might as well have said, "Your argument assumes that Jack and the Beanstalk did not occur", because like other arguments around here, was based on an assumption.
Yes it was for obvious reasons, where do we draw the line on what is real and what is not?
reincarnation, fairy stories, myths, superstitions, some people think they should all be considered to be real until they are shown not to be? that's a sure road to a lunatic asylum so please don't encourage them.
No, my logic-challenged friend, Jack and the beanstalk are quite out of the scope of the argument.
It seems that you are sorely lacking in critical reasoning skills. Fortunately, I can help you. Let's start by looking at the following hypothetical argument.
John is tall, and he has a good job. Therefore, Maria will be strongly attracted to him.
The prediction in the passage rests on which of the following assumptions?
A) Maria does not have a boyfriend.
B) Maria makes more money than John does.
C)
Jack and the beanstalk is not a true story.
D) Maria is attracted to tall men with good jobs.
E) Maria is already dating John.
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When encountering a passage such as this one, it is important that you
always read the question first. Until you know what your task is, there is no sense in reading the text. If, for example, the question asks you what can be inferred from the text, then you know that you need not worry about identifying assumptions. If the question asks you to find the flaw, then you will know from the outset that you will want to disagree with the passage.
In this case, the question informs us that we are looking for an
assumption. For our purposes, an assumption is an
unstated premise that is required for the argument to make sense. Assumptions support the argument and for that reason it is important that we identify the
main point of the argument. The following steps can help you to determine the main point of the argument.
First, the main point is what the author of the argument wants you to believe. It will be supported by reasons (often called
premises) that the author thinks give sufficient cause to believe the main point. The main point is never a statement of fact. It will always be an opinion, a prediction, or a conclusion.
Second, the main point is often accompanied by indicator words. Words such as therefore, accordingly, thus, hence, and in conclusion tell us that the main point is coming. You will note that in the above argument the word
therefore accompanies the main point.
Third, the main point often contains a modal verb. Words such as must, should, can, might, and will often accompany the main point. You will note that in the above argument the word
will is in the main point.
Fourth, the main point often contains a form of the verb
to be. Words such as is, are, was, were, and be often indicate the main point. You will note that in the above argument the word
be is in the main point.
Finally, we can apply the
Why? test. Let us suppose that we mistakenly think that "John is tall" is the main point of the argument. We shouldn't because this is not a statement of fact but one of opinion. Nevertheless, the
Why? test can help us to determine whether it really is. If you have correctly identified the main point, you should be able to use the rest of the argument to answer the question
Why?
John is tall. Why? Because he has a good job. Because Maria will be strongly attracted to him. Does that make sense? Do those two reasons lead you to believe that John is tall? Obviously not. Therefore, we can see that
John is tall has failed the why test.
However, if we select "Maria will be strongly attracted to [John]" as our main point and apply the
Why? test we get different results. Maria will be strongly attracted to John. Why? Because John is tall. Because John has a good job.
Perhaps you don't find this argument particularly convincing. That's good -- it's important to be skeptical when encountering new arguments. The reason this argument is not persuasive is because the author
assumes but does not prove or even state that women in general, along with Maria specifically, are attracted to tall men with good jobs. One clue that this argument relies on an assumption is the realization that the word
attracted never appears in any of the reasons, but it does occur in the main point. Whenever a new word or surprising concept appears in the main point, that is a sure sign that the argument relies on an assumption involving that word or concept.
Now that we have an assumption in mind, we can return to the answer choices to determine which answer best fits with our ideas. Let's begin with choice A.
Maria doesn't have a boyfriend. Could this be the assumption? Perhaps you think so. Perhaps if Maria does not have a boyfriend, she might be more attracted to John. However, there is a simple test to determine whether this really is the assumption of the argument. The assumption, when
negated, should completely destroy the argument. What's the opposite of this?
Maria has a boyfriend. Is it impossible for Maria to have a boyfriend and be attracted to John? Obviously not. Eliminate it.
What about choice B?
Maria makes more money than John does. Does this statement support the main point? Actually, it might weaken the main point. Perhaps Maria will be unimpressed by John's job if she makes more money than he does. Eliminate it.
What about choice C?
Jack and the beanstalk is not a true story. Could that be the assumption? If we negate this assumption, does it kill the main point? Hardly. Eliminate it.
What about choice D?
Maria is attracted to tall men with good jobs. This is exactly what we are looking for. Without this belief, the main point will make no sense to us. Additionally, if we negate this we get the idea that
Maria is not attracted to tall men with good jobs. If that is so, then certainly she will not be attracted to John. This is the best answer.
