Determine if the following passage is an argument. If it is, identify the conclusion. If it is not, determine the kind of nonargument.
"Although it is customary to think of human population as increasing continuously without declines or fluctuations, population growth has not been a steady march. For example, great declines occurred during the time of the Black Death, during the fourteenth century. Entire towns were abandoned, production of food declined, and in England, one-third of the population died within a single decade."†
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "Entire towns were abandoned, production of food declined, and in England, one-third of the population died within a single decade."
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "It is customary to think of human population as increasing continuously without declines or fluctuations."
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "Population growth has not been a steady march."
The passage is a nonargument and is a set of loosely associated statements.
The passage is a nonargument and is a statement of belief.
The passage is a nonargument and is an expository passage.

Question

Determine if the following passage is an argument. If it is, identify the conclusion. If it is not, determine the kind of nonargument.
"Although it is customary to think of human population as increasing continuously without declines or fluctuations, population growth has not been a steady march. For example, great declines occurred during the time of the Black Death, during the fourteenth century. Entire towns were abandoned, production of food declined, and in England, one-third of the population died within a single decade."†
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "Entire towns were abandoned, production of food declined, and in England, one-third of the population died within a single decade."
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "It is customary to think of human population as increasing continuously without declines or fluctuations."    
The passage is an argument, and the conclusion is "Population growth has not been a steady march."
The passage is a nonargument and is a set of loosely associated statements.
The passage is a nonargument and is a statement of belief.
The passage is a nonargument and is an expository passage.

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

Methinks, dost thou not find it intriguing that the ebb and flow of human population doth not follow a straight and narrow path? Verily, history doth reveal to us the truth that population growth is not a steady march, but rather a meandering journey fraught with peaks and valleys. Take, for instance, the time of the Black Death in the fourteenth century, where great declines did besiege mankind. Towns lay abandoned, fields barren of food, and in fair England, a third of its people did succumb to the ruthless grip of death within a mere decade. 'Tis a reminder, my dear companions, of the fragility of life and the unpredictability of fate. Let us not be deceived by the appearance of constancy, for in the grand tapestry of existence, all things wax and wane in their own time. So heed these words, ponder upon the passage before us, and reflect upon the ever-changing nature of our world."