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To the layman, a philosopher who attempts to elucidate a complex
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08 Mar 2026, 12:16
08 Mar 2026, 12:16
Expert Reply
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Question Stats:
50% (00:51) correct
50% (01:02) wrong based on 20 sessions
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To the layman, a philosopher who attempts to elucidate a complex moral dilemma by reducing it to a simple yet apparently ridiculous test case seems rather to ________ the issue.
| Two Answers |
|---|
| A. ridicule |
| B. obfuscate |
| C. over-simplify | D. denigrate | E. becloud |
| F. attenuate |
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Re: To the layman, a philosopher who attempts to elucidate a complex
[#permalink]
20 Mar 2026, 09:25
20 Mar 2026, 09:25
Expert Reply
Analysis
The sentence contrasts the philosopher's intent (clarity) with the layman's perception. If the layman finds the test case "ridiculous," they likely feel the original moral dilemma has become harder to understand or clouded rather than simpler. We are looking for synonyms that mean to make obscure, unclear, or dark.
- B. obfuscate: To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
- E. becloud: To make less clear; to muddle or muddy an issue.
Why the others don't fit:
- A. ridicule: While the layman thinks the test case is ridiculous, the philosopher isn't necessarily ridiculing the issue itself.
- C. over-simplify: This is a "logic trap." While the prompt mentions "reducing it to a simple... case," the layman's complaint is usually that these abstractions make the realworld issue more confusing or less relevant, not too simple. Furthermore, there is no perfect synonym for "over-simplify" among the other choices.
- D. denigrate: To criticize unfairly or disparage. The philosopher isn't attacking the dilemma; they are trying to solve it.
- F. attenuate: To reduce the force, effect, or value of something. While the philosopher is "reducing" the case, "attenuate" doesn't capture the sense of confusion implied by "apparently ridiculous."
Answer Key
- B. obfuscate
- E. becloud
The sentence contrasts the philosopher's intent (clarity) with the layman's perception. If the layman finds the test case "ridiculous," they likely feel the original moral dilemma has become harder to understand or clouded rather than simpler. We are looking for synonyms that mean to make obscure, unclear, or dark.
- B. obfuscate: To render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.
- E. becloud: To make less clear; to muddle or muddy an issue.
Why the others don't fit:
- A. ridicule: While the layman thinks the test case is ridiculous, the philosopher isn't necessarily ridiculing the issue itself.
- C. over-simplify: This is a "logic trap." While the prompt mentions "reducing it to a simple... case," the layman's complaint is usually that these abstractions make the realworld issue more confusing or less relevant, not too simple. Furthermore, there is no perfect synonym for "over-simplify" among the other choices.
- D. denigrate: To criticize unfairly or disparage. The philosopher isn't attacking the dilemma; they are trying to solve it.
- F. attenuate: To reduce the force, effect, or value of something. While the philosopher is "reducing" the case, "attenuate" doesn't capture the sense of confusion implied by "apparently ridiculous."
Answer Key
- B. obfuscate
- E. becloud
gmatclubot
Re: To the layman, a philosopher who attempts to elucidate a complex [#permalink]
20 Mar 2026, 09:25
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