Question

which inference about aristotle is best supported by the passage below (paragraph 4)?
plato went on to have his own famous student: the philosopher, aristotle. aristotle wrote extensively on many different topics, including physics, astronomy, psychology, biology, and ethics. the ability to use rhetoric and reason to persuade others in the public sphere was a highly valued talent for the ancient greeks. in his text rhetoric, aristotle describes three main methods for persuasion: an appeal to ethics and credibility (ethos), an appeal to emotion (pathos), and an appeal to logic and reason (logos).
□ a. aristotle did not believe in the socratic method of debate because he was a reasonable person who focused his arguments on rhetoric.
□ b. aristotle was interested in the same subjects as his teacher, plato, but he chose to write about them in a different way.
□ c. aristotle was skilled in the use of persuasive language and debate.
□ d. aristotle had a variety of interests.

Explanation:

• Option A: The passage does not mention the Socratic method or Aristotle's belief about it. So, this option is not supported.
• Option B: The passage does not compare Aristotle's writing style with Plato's. So, this option is not supported.
• Option C: The passage states that Aristotle described three main methods for persuasion (ethos, pathos, logos) in his text Rhetoric. This shows that he was skilled in the use of persuasive language and debate.
• Option D: While Aristotle wrote on many topics (physics, astronomy, etc.), the passage emphasizes his work on persuasion (rhetoric) more. The key inference from the given paragraph is about his skill in persuasion rather than just having a variety of interests.

Answer:

C. Aristotle was skilled in the use of persuasive language and debate.