Sociologist: Widespread acceptance of the idea that individuals are incapable of looking after their own welfare is injurious to a democracy. So legislators who value democracy should not propose any law prohibiting behavior that is not harmful to anyone besides the person engaging in it. After all, the assumptions that appear to guide legislators will often become widely accepted. The sociologist’s argument requires the assumption that

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democratically elected legislators invariably have favorable attitudes toward the preservation of democracy

people tend to believe what is believed by those who are prominent and powerful

legislators often seem to be guided by the assumption that individuals are incapable of looking after their own welfare, even though these legislators also seem to value democracy

in most cases, behavior that is harmful to the person who engages in it is harmful to no one else

a legislator proposing a law prohibiting an act that can harm only the person performing the act will seem to be assuming that individuals are incapable of looking after their own welfare.

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What this question tests

What it tests

Whether you can identify the unstated assumption a critical-reasoning argument depends on.

Common trap

Picking an option that strengthens the argument or is merely relevant instead of one that is required.