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Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.

The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it
  • a)
    fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flavius
  • b)
    treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrights
  • c)
    presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the arts
  • d)
    takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successful
  • e)
    fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient Rome
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in t...
(A) fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius's administration that were not explicitly about Flavius.
This option suggests that the historian overlooks the possibility that a significant portion of the plays written during Flavius's administration may not have been about Flavius himself. While this might be a valid criticism in terms of the scope of the plays, it does not directly challenge the argument's conclusion about Flavius's unpopularity. Therefore, this option is not the most appropriate criticism.
(B) treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius's popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrights.
This option suggests that the argument relies on the assumption that the satirical plays accurately reflect Flavius's popularity, without considering potential bias from the playwrights. If the playwrights had personal or political motivations for satirizing Flavius, it could impact the reliability of the plays as an indicator of his popularity. This is a valid criticism and directly challenges the argument's conclusion, making it the correct choice.
(C) presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the arts.
This option points out that the argument assumes Flavius was against the arts without providing any evidence to support this claim. While this assumption might weaken the argument's conclusion, it does not directly criticize the reasoning used in the argument. Therefore, this option is not the most appropriate criticism.
(D) takes for granted that Flavius's attempt to discourage the arts was successful.
This option suggests that the argument assumes Flavius's attempt to discourage the arts was successful without providing any evidence or justification for this assumption. While it raises a valid point about the lack of evidence, it does not directly challenge the argument's conclusion about Flavius's unpopularity. Thus, this option is not the most appropriate criticism.
(E) fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient Rome.
This option points out that the argument overlooks the consideration of whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient Rome. If these virtues were highly valued, it could undermine the argument's assumption that Flavius's belief in these virtues made him unpopular. This is a valid criticism that challenges the reasoning used in the argument. However, it does not directly address the conclusion about Flavius's unpopularity, making it a less appropriate choice.
In conclusion, the most appropriate criticism of the historian's argument is (B) treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius's popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrights.
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Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2024 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Historian: Flavius, an ancient Roman governor who believed deeply in the virtues of manual labor and moral temperance, actively sought to discourage the arts by removing state financial support for them. Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
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Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. 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Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. 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Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. 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Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. 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Also, Flavius was widely unpopular among his subjects, as we can conclude from the large number of satirical plays that were written about him during his administration.The historian’s argumentation is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that ita)fails to consider the percentage of plays written during Flavius’s administration that were not explicitly about Flaviusb)treats the satirical plays as a reliable indicator of Flavius’s popularity despite potential bias on the part of the playwrightsc)presumes, without providing evidence, that Flavius was unfavorably disposed toward the artsd)takes for granted that Flavius’s attempt to discourage the arts was successfule)fails to consider whether manual labor and moral temperance were widely regarded as virtues in ancient RomeCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice GMAT tests.
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