QUESTION TEXT: A member of the British Parliament is…
QUESTION TYPE: Weaken
CONCLUSION: My reform is good.
REASONING: It will make my constituents happy. Increasing the sum total of human happiness is important.
ANALYSIS: The author ignores half of the quotation. You need to increase total happiness.
Suppose a law took $50 from everyone in the country, and gave it to Joe. That might make Joe happy, but everyone else would be mad. Total happiness would decrease; it would be a bad law.
Likewise, we don’t know if the author’s law would hurt other people. Maybe he is proposing the “Steal Money To Give It To My Constituents Act.”
___________
- Of course. What does this commonplace truth have to do with anything? We do know that this particular reform will please the constituents.
- This is consistent with the quote. Total happiness is increased. I’m not worse off if you’re happier.
- Same as B. A law can be a good law even if it only makes 50 people happy, as long as it doesn’t hurt other people.
- CORRECT. This is the flaw. If my law makes my 500 constituents happy but makes 10,000 other people unhappy, it might be a bad law.
- We don’t know whether this law has widespread support. It might.