Assumptions and Underlying Premises Flashcards

An author argues that stricter gun laws will reduce violent crime because countries with stricter laws have lower crime rates. What must the author assume for this argument to hold?

Answer: The relationship between gun laws and crime rates observed in other countries would apply similarly in the target country

The argument assumes that the correlation seen in other countries is transferable, making cross-country comparison a valid basis for the policy conclusion.

A passage claims that increasing teacher salaries will improve student outcomes. Which of the following is an unstated assumption of this argument?

Answer: Higher salaries will attract or retain more qualified teachers who will improve instruction

The argument implicitly assumes a mechanism connecting higher pay to better instruction, which is the missing causal link between salaries and outcomes.

In CARS, an 'assumption' differs from an 'inference' primarily in that an assumption is:

Answer: A premise the argument takes for granted without stating it explicitly

Assumptions are unstated premises the argument relies upon, whereas inferences are conclusions derived from what the author does state.

An author writes: 'Since our product has more features than competitors, customers will prefer it.' Which assumption underlies this claim?

Answer: Customers value having more features over other purchasing factors such as price or simplicity

The argument assumes that feature quantity is what customers prioritize, which is the unstated value premise linking features to customer preference.

Which of the following, if true, would most directly undermine the assumption in this argument: 'Students who study more hours perform better on exams, so we should require longer study sessions'?

Answer: Beyond a certain threshold, additional study hours produce diminishing returns and may impair performance through fatigue

This directly challenges the assumed linear relationship between study time and performance, which is the foundational premise of the argument.

A passage argues that ancient texts should be interpreted literally because the authors wrote exactly what they meant. What is the key assumption?

Answer: Ancient authors did not use metaphor, irony, or culturally specific language that modern readers might misunderstand

The argument presupposes that ancient language is transparent and stable, with no metaphorical or cultural layers that require interpretive work from modern readers.

When an argument rests on a 'necessary assumption,' this means the assumption is one that:

Answer: Must be true for the conclusion to follow from the premises

A necessary assumption is one whose negation fatally weakens or destroys the argument, making it a logical requirement rather than supplementary support.