Can you please go over #19? I am unclear about the structure of the argument, and how choice C relates to the argument.

I think an analogous argument might help:

All cultures have different definitions of beauty. Still, there are some people that are simply more beautiful than others. However, this beauty must always be considered along with one's personality.

I haven't totally transferred over some of the finer points of the argument, but hopefully the connection is clear to see.

The part in question is analogous to my statement "still, there are some people that are simply more beautiful than others."

Notice two things about this statement --

1. It's a claim (an opinion)

2. According to the author, it's an opinion that must be considered alongside something else (personality).

That's what (C) says -- it's a claim that must be considered in a specific way --

(A) is incorrect in part b/c the author doesn't try to refute the hypothesis
(B) is incorrect in part b/c it is not an objection
(D) is very tempting, but this isn't a claim that is derived from another claim.
(E) is incorrect because the statement is not used to justify evidence.

Hopefully that makes things clearer. This is a tough q, so please let us know if you need any follow up.

Yes that clears it up. Thanks. I was just having difficulty sifting through the words.

I'm sorry, but I'm still having trouble as to why the sentence is not a generalization.
I'm struggling a bit with this one because when they say "even those...must admit that..." it doesn't seem like an opinion, but a generalization.

Also, it seems like the argument is following as follows :

even tho you believe this...you must admit that...

so for this reason I thought that the way it was set up was to a slight objection. For this reason I chose B and of course it was wrong. Could someone please explain why I am approaching this question incorrectly (besides the obvious fact that it lead to the wrong answer...)

I see two things to bring up. First, the claim that some painters are superior to others in their execution is a generalization. Answer choice (B) is not incorrect in calling the claim a generalization. Answer choice (B) is wrong for something else it says.

Second, the claim is not objected to in the argument. The argument advances that claim as true for everyone - even those who believe that the art of each age and culture has its own standards of beauty. It is suggested that the superiority should be measured in a certain way, but the superiority would continue to exist regardless.

Saying that the claim is to be understood in way manner specified in the conclusion is a more accurate description of the claim's role, since the claim is not objected to in the argument.

Let me know if/where you see an objection in the argument. But I don't see one.

Okay, so I see it now. I was too focused on the generalization and not the rest of the sentence (I ahead of myself here).

Thank-you! I see now that the argument is not an objection. C is right because it says in the stimulus "must be measured in light of..." hence the specification.

Thanks so much for clarifying further!

19. (C)
Question type: Analyze Argument Structure

The statement that some painters are superior than others might best be categorized as a kind of opposing view; it seems clear from the passage that the author is committed to the idea that standards of beauty change over time, and so would fall into the group that “must admit” the statement, as though unwillingly. (Probably the idea is something like: If you think standards of art are relative, you have trouble saying that one artist is simply better than another.) However, the passage does not try to contradict this point; rather, it does, as promised, admit that it’s true, but then qualifies it in light of the conclusion: that the meaning of that superiority depends on the artist’s purposes. So the best choice is (C): the argument’s conclusion qualifies, or tells us how best to understand, this claim.

(A) is incorrect because the argument doesn’t try to refute this idea; it admits the statement’s truth.
(B) might be tempting if you thought that the example of Toledo disproved the statement; more precisely, though, it demonstrates that the statement, while true, must be understood in light of the argument’s conclusion.
(D) is wrong on both points; the claim is not derived from any other statement nor is it really used to support the conclusion.
(E) is incorrect; the argument doesn’t use the statement to justify the example, but rather uses the example to develop the correct understanding of the statement.