FeiFei-08

[CherrieLi]

8. The stable functioning of a society depends upon the relatively long-term stability of the goals of its citizens. This is clear from the fact that unless the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, it will be impossible for a legislature to craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry, and it should be obvious that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens.

The claim that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens plays which one of the following roles in the argument?

A.It is the conclusion of the argument.
B.It helps to support the conclusion of the argument.
C.It is a claim that must be refuted if the conclusion is to be established.
D.It is a consequence of the argument.
E.It is used to illustrate the general principle that the argument presupposes.

答案是B....我選E, 因為 increase the happiness of its citizens ---> society is stable 這樣的一個敘述, 不正代表著這個argument的presuppose嗎? 前提成立才能導出conclusion...

請好心人士幫幫忙....詳細解說參考如下...但我不是太懂它要說什麼.....

這是一個典型的必要題型，題目之所以覺得有難度，
因為conclusion 在首而論證過程在後，而且還有概念的等價交換：to increase the happiness of its citizens　＝＝to augment the satisfaction of the citizenry

Conclusion: The stable functioning of a society depends upon the relatively long-term stability of the goals of its citizens.

it should be obvious that a society is stable only if its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens.
A society is stable (a)  its laws tend to increase the happiness of its citizens. (b)

This is clear from the fact that unless the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, it will be impossible for a legislature to craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry,
To craft laws that will augment the satisfaction of the citizenry (b) the majority of individuals have a predictable and enduring set of aspirations, (c)

Therefore, A requires C. (the conclusion)
看懂文章後，不難得到正確答案B.