Final answer:
To defend the hypothesis, data showing a positive correlation between slave labor and economic growth is necessary, but not sufficient to prove the hypothesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's hypothesis is that a greater use of slave labor generally caused higher levels of economic growth in the past. To defend this hypothesis, the student would need to provide data from different periods and regions showing a strong positive correlation between slave labor (s) and economic growth (g). This evidence would support the hypothesis but would not be sufficient to prove it.
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