Date: March 20th, 2017 11:02 AM
Author: Aromatic Mother Chapel
Criminologist: The main purpose of most criminal
organizations is to generate profits. The ongoing
revolutions in biotechnology and information
technology promise to generate enormous profits.
Therefore, criminal organizations will undoubtedly
try to become increasingly involved in these areas.
The conclusion of the criminologist’s argument is
properly inferred if which one of the following is
assumed?
(A)
If an organization tries to become increasingly
involved in areas that promise to generate enormous
profits, then the main purpose of that organization is
to generate profits.
(B)
At least some criminal organizations are or will
at some point become aware that the ongoing
revolutions in biotechnology and information
technology promise to generate enormous profits.
(C)
Criminal organizations are already heavily involved
in every activity that promises to generate enormous
profits.
(D)
Any organization whose main purpose is to generate
profits will try to become increasingly involved
in any technological revolution that promises to
generate enormous profits.
(E)
Most criminal organizations are willing to become
involved in legal activities if those activities are
sufficiently profitable.
SPOILER
The correct answer is the first letter of the animal considered to be man's best friend.
This answer is NOT SUFFICIENT to allow the conclusion to be "properly inferred", UNLESS we interpret the conclusion -- "criminal organizations will undoubtedly ..." as meaning "some" or "most" criminal organizations and NOT "all". This is because the first premise tells us only that "most" criminal organizations are into getting profits. So even if you add the correct answer to the argument, the strongest conclusion you could make is that "Most criminal organizations will try to get increasingly involved..."
But here, if the conclusion is supposed to be a claim about "criminal organizations" in the sense of "each criminal organization", then the conclusion is NOT properly inferred by adding the assumption in the correct answer. The correct answer is only sufficient if we interpret "criminal organizations" as meaning "some" or "most". Can someone tell me if I have something wrong here?
"As are B." I would normally interpret that as saying every A is a B. But I grant that, in some contexts, that might mean more generally, "There are As that are B." How the hell are we supposed to distinguish the two meanings? Is there some rule of the English language?
"Dinosaurs are extinct." Does that mean all dinos, or just some/most?
"Football players with 1 year of experience in NFL are used to taking hits." Does that mean all football players with 1 year of experience in the NFL or jsut some/most of them?
"Criminal organizations will try to become increasingly involved in tech revolutions." Does that mean all crim orgs or just some/most? What distinguishes this last example from the first two?
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3558689&forum_id=2#32872741)