LSAT 158 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q8

LR Question 8 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Sociologist: Some anthropologists claim that …

QUESTION TYPE: Complete the Argument

ANALYSIS: The anthropologists are saying: abandon many traditions -> save the culture.

The “but” signals that the sociologist disagrees. Then they tell us that each tradition is essential to a culture’s identity. That’s a strong claim: if every tradition is essential, you can’t remove any without damaging the culture itself.

So if we got rid of many traditions, and each is essential, then we’d be getting rid of the culture. The sociologist believes the strategy will lead to the opposite outcome from what the anthropologists claim.

___________

1. The stimulus was about all cultures, with no relative comparisons. It wouldn’t make sense for the conclusion to suddenly differentiate between different cultures.
2. CORRECT. If all traditions are essential, removing them destroys the culture, not saves it.
3. Similar to A, this introduces an unsupported relative comparison. Also, what anthropologists study doesn’t have a bearing on decay.
4. It’s the opposite. The sociologist criticizes the strategy, not endorses it.
5. There’s no distinction made between old and new traditions.