LR Question 13 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Brooks: I’m unhappy in my job, but I don’t know…
QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning
CONCLUSION: Morgenstern says Brooks should quit.
REASONING: The main risk to quitting is not finding another job, in which case Brooks would be unhappy. But Brooks is already unhappy.
ANALYSIS: Morgenstern forgets that there are degrees of unhappiness.
You might dislike a job. But you might dislike not finding another job and being a hobo even more.
(I actually recommend leaving jobs you don’t like. You’re not likely to become a hobo. But that’s another story.)
___________
- CORRECT. Sure, you dislike your job. But, you might be much more unhappy if you couldn’t find another job.
- This is code for circular reasoning. Morgenstern did have (flawed) evidence: Brook’s greatest fear has already happened.
(according to Morgenstern)
So the argument isn’t circular. - Morgenstern was pretty accurate about what Brooks said. Brooks did say he’s unhappy, and Morgenstern correctly identified Brooks’ main worry: not finding another job.
- There’s only one type of risk here: not finding another job. Being unhappy in Brooks’ job isn’t a risk, it’s a certainty. He’s already unhappy.
- Morgenstern didn’t say that everyone who is unhappy should quit their job. He just said that Brooks should. That’s not a generalization.
More Resources for Flaw Questions
- Flaw drills: Use these to practice making examples of abstract flaws.
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Flaw questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers flaw questions.
I’m still not sure why the advice isn’t circular. Could you please explain?
When you use circular reasoning, your conclusion is contained within your reasoning, i.e. your evidence is your conclusion and vice versa. The explanation points out that there actually is a distinction between the evidence and conclusion here, even if that evidence is flawed. The argument is:
Premise: If you don’t find a job, you’re going to be unhappy
Premise: You’re already unhappy
Conclusion: You should quit.