LSAT 128 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q13

RC Question 13 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken …

DISCUSSION: These are the main reasons the author argues against harsh punishment of debtors:

1. It prevents continued economic activity
2. Imprisoned debtors are unable to repay anything at all, so creditors won’t even benefit
3. If it’s a large business, dissolution would cause unemployment and industry disruption

Collectively, these arguments claim that punishing bankruptcy is ultimately bad for the economy. So the correct answer choice will undermine this by suggesting the opposite may actually be true (punishment improves economy).

___________

1. Greater individual economic responsibility is great, but it doesn’t show how punishment doesn’t actually harm the economy overall.
2. Note this only says “bankruptcy”. So we don’t know whether this company was actually punished or not.
3. The author didn’t claim that remedial approaches would lower the number of bankruptcy filings.
4. This doesn’t really prove a net positive outcome. Sure, the economy grew in the short-term, but hundreds of people are now unemployed. Is this really a positive?
5. CORRECT. The author’s argument is that harsh punishment = bad for the economy. This shows the opposite, so it weakens the author’s argument. You may be thinking that this difference in economic health could be for a number of other reasons. True. But weakening doesn’t require us to completely destroy the argument. E gives us enough of a reason to at least question the author’s argument.