Sarah: some schools seek to foster a habit of volunteering in their st...
This question presents a dialogue between Sarah and Paul regarding the effectiveness of a school policy that requires students to perform community service in order to foster a habit of volunteering. Paul disagrees with Sarah's argument against the policy and responds to her using argumentative techniques.
Let's analyze the answer choices to determine which one accurately describes Paul's response:
(A) He argues that Sarah is assuming just what she sets out to prove.
This choice suggests that Paul points out Sarah's circular reasoning or fallacy in assuming what she aims to prove. However, Paul's response does not directly address Sarah's assumption or circular reasoning.
(B) He argues that Sarah’s conception of what it means to volunteer excludes certain activities that ought to be considered instances of volunteering.
This choice suggests that Paul challenges Sarah's definition of volunteering, arguing that it excludes certain activities that should be considered volunteering. However, Paul's response does not address or challenge Sarah's definition of volunteering.
(C) He introduces considerations that call into question one of Sarah’s assumptions.
This choice suggests that Paul presents considerations or arguments that challenge one of Sarah's assumptions. This accurately describes Paul's response, as he counters Sarah's assumption that a person who has been forced to do something cannot be considered a volunteer. Paul provides examples of students who were initially forced to perform community service but subsequently volunteered willingly, thus challenging Sarah's assumption.
(D) He questions Sarah’s motives for advancing an argument against the school policy.
This choice suggests that Paul questions Sarah's motives for arguing against the school policy. However, Paul's response does not address or question Sarah's motives.
(E) He argues that a policy Sarah fails to consider could accomplish the same aim as the policy that Sarah considers.
This choice suggests that Paul argues for an alternative policy that Sarah fails to consider, which could achieve the same goal as the policy under discussion. However, Paul's response does not propose or argue for an alternative policy.
Based on the analysis above, the most accurate answer is (C) - Paul introduces considerations that call into question one of Sarah’s assumptions.