LSAT 17, Logical Reasoning II, Q16, LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Each of the elements of Girelli’s recently completed design…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: The design is not original.

REASONING: The design was made by copying different elements from different historical traditions. No one element of the design was original.

ANALYSIS: It’s quite possible to make something original out of unoriginal parts. Watch, I’ll make a completely original phrase:

“LSAT pancakes”

Yum. That phrase had no Google results. It’s original even though neither of the words is original.

In abstract language (as used in answer choice A): The parts are unoriginal but the whole is original.

___________

1. CORRECT. Yes. Each element is unoriginal. But the overall design could still be new if no one had combined the elements in the same way before.
2. The argument hasn’t generalized to all buildings or all of Girelli’s work.
3. There are no unknown elements in Girelli’s work.
4. Actually the argument is assuming that things that are true separately are true together. It claims that the elements are separately unoriginal and also unoriginal together.
5. Actually the entire argument is factual. The elements all have origins in other architectural traditions. The stimulus hasn’t expressed an aesthetic judgment.

Recap: The question begins with “Each of the elements of Girelli’s recently completed design”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.

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