In this chapter, we’re going to be fixing and/or weakening arguments. These questions ask you what would change an argument. This typically revolves around modifying unstated assumptions.
CHALLENGE: Strengthen Key Assumptions
Strengthen Questions ask you to find statements that increase (strengthen) or decrease (weaken) your belief in the argument. Since the premises are taken to be true, the way to increase or decrease the belief in an argument is to increase or decrease belief in the assumptions of the argument.
Know that a Strengthen correct option choice will not make the argument fool-proof; it will just make the argument stronger. Similarly, a Weaken correct choice will not demolish the argument completely; it will just make it weaker to some extent.
Here are some examples of Strengthen Question stems (note that when it says “if true,” it means that you must accept the validity of the statement):
- The conclusion would be more properly drawn if it were made clear that . . .
- Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the conclusion drawn in the passage above?
- The argument, as it is presented in the passage above, would be most strengthened if which of the following were true?
- Which of the following would most strongly support the author? Note: that isn’t a typo. The most strongly support is actually asking you which option would strengthen the argument (Note: this is not the same as the Most Strongly Supported question type we discussed earlier in the course, which is more related to formal logic).