Philosophers note that many people have an intuitive sense that while we ought not to lie, there may be circumstances...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Source: Official
Information and Ideas
Central Ideas and Details
HARD
...
...
Notes
Post a Query
Philosophers note that many people have an intuitive sense that while we ought not to lie, there may be circumstances in which lying is permissible. If this intuition is correct and we lack an inviolable duty to speak truthfully, what grounds opposition to lying in the first place? Japa Pallikkathayil has advanced one answer by appealing to a duty to respect others' agential interests: the possession of false beliefs constrains agency, and thus we ought not to impede the formation of true beliefs unless doing so prevents a greater constraint on someone's agency or an otherwise impermissible end.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A
One potential means of justifying opposition to lying is Pallikkathayil's argument that we have an obligation to respect other people's agency that entails a commitment to truthfulness except in certain circumstances.
B
Many people have an intuitive sense that lying is permissible in some circumstances but lack a principled way to identify those circumstances, and Pallikkathayil's argument may provide a means of resolving that problem.
C
Pallikkathayil's argument suggests that if we have a duty to respect other people's agential interests and if possession of false beliefs constrains agency, then we have an inviolable duty to speak truthfully.
D
Pallikkathayil's argument shows that if our intuition that circumstances may make lying permissible is correct, then it is unclear whether there are any grounds for an opposition to lying in the first place.
Solution
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Philosophers note that many people have an intuitive sense that while we ought not to lie, there may be circumstances in which lying is permissible. |
|
| If this intuition is correct and we lack an inviolable duty to speak truthfully, what grounds opposition to lying in the first place? |
|
| Japa Pallikkathayil has advanced one answer by appealing to a duty to respect others' agential interests: |
|
| the possession of false beliefs constrains agency, and thus we ought not to impede the formation of true beliefs unless doing so prevents a greater constraint on someone's agency or an otherwise impermissible end. |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The passage presents a philosophical problem about what grounds opposition to lying if we don't have an absolute duty to tell the truth, then offers Pallikkathayil's agency-based solution as one potential answer.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with a widely-held moral intuition, identifies the philosophical puzzle this creates, then presents one philosopher's attempt to solve that puzzle through the concept of respecting others' agency.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The main idea of the entire text
- What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures the central purpose or message of the passage
- Any limiting keywords? Main idea means we need the overarching point, not just details
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer needs to capture that this passage is doing two main things: (1) presenting a philosophical problem about what justifies opposing lying when we don't have an absolute duty to truth, and (2) offering Pallikkathayil's agency-based argument as one potential solution to that problem
- The answer should recognize that Pallikkathayil's view isn't presented as the definitive answer, but as one answer to this philosophical challenge
- It should also capture that his solution allows for exceptions when respecting agency might require them
Answer Choices Explained
A
One potential means of justifying opposition to lying is Pallikkathayil's argument that we have an obligation to respect other people's agency that entails a commitment to truthfulness except in certain circumstances.
Correct
- Captures that Pallikkathayil's argument is one potential means of justifying opposition to lying
- Accurately reflects the agency-based reasoning (obligation to respect other people's agency)
- Includes the key exception clause (except in certain circumstances) that matches the passage's nuanced position
- Matches our prethinking perfectly by presenting this as a proposed solution rather than the definitive answer
B
Many people have an intuitive sense that lying is permissible in some circumstances but lack a principled way to identify those circumstances, and Pallikkathayil's argument may provide a means of resolving that problem.
Incorrect
- Focuses too heavily on the problem of identifying those circumstances when lying is permissible
- The passage doesn't actually emphasize this identification problem as the main issue
- Misses that the passage is primarily presenting Pallikkathayil's solution approach, not focusing on the difficulty of identifying permissible circumstances
C
Pallikkathayil's argument suggests that if we have a duty to respect other people's agential interests and if possession of false beliefs constrains agency, then we have an inviolable duty to speak truthfully.
Incorrect
- Claims Pallikkathayil's argument leads to an inviolable duty to speak truthfully
- This directly contradicts the passage, which explicitly states we lack an inviolable duty to speak truthfully
- Pallikkathayil's view actually allows exceptions, making the duty non-inviolable
D
Pallikkathayil's argument shows that if our intuition that circumstances may make lying permissible is correct, then it is unclear whether there are any grounds for an opposition to lying in the first place.
Incorrect
- Suggests Pallikkathayil's argument shows it is unclear whether there are any grounds for an opposition to lying
- This is backwards - Pallikkathayil actually provides grounds for opposing lying through the agency argument
- Misrepresents the solution as creating more confusion rather than offering a potential answer
Rate this Solution
Tell us what you think about this solution
...
...
Forum Discussions
Start a new discussion
Post
Load More
Similar Questions
Finding similar questions...
Previous Attempts
Loading attempts...
Similar Questions
Finding similar questions...
Parallel Question Generator
Create AI-generated questions with similar patterns to master this question type.