LSAT 108 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A survey of historians shows that most …

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: These historians neglect many important sources of historical knowledge.

REASONING:

• Most historians think written texts are the best source of historical understanding.
• None think painting, architecture, music, dance, or culinary arts are the best source.

ANALYSIS: The argument goes from: Historians don’t think these arts are the best source.

to: Therefore, historians neglect them.

That’s a huge jump. You can think something isn’t the best source and still pay plenty of attention to it.

For example, I think exercising is the best way to stay in shape. That doesn’t mean I neglect eating healthy.

The author is assuming there isn’t some middle ground where historians don’t think the arts are the best source, but still consider them and use them seriously.

___________

1. The argument doesn’t care whether there are other possible sources besides texts and the arts.
2. The argument never assumes the arts are important only as historical sources. They could have artistic, cultural, or entertainment value too.
3. CORRECT. The author assumes there’s only two possibilities: consider it the best source or neglect it. But that’s wrong. It’s not a black/white situation.
4. The argument doesn’t need something else to be the best source. The conclusion is only about neglect, not about what the actual best source is.
5. This says the arts are not important repositories of knowledge. The argument concludes the exact opposite so the author certainly doesn’t think they aren’t important.