LR Question 15 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Editorialist: Society is obliged to bestow the…
QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning
CONCLUSION: We should give seventeen year olds the privileges of adulthood.
REASONING: Most seventeen year olds are physically mature.
ANALYSIS: This argument forgets that there is a difference between emotional and psychological maturity. You’re surely more emotionally mature than you were at seventeen, even if you stopped physically growing.
___________
- This isn’t a circular argument. The editorialist has (bad) evidence to support his conclusion: kids stop growing at seventeen.
- There aren’t any examples. The editorialist is reasoning from general principles.
- CORRECT. Equivocates means shifting sides. The editorialist switches from using mature in a psychological sense to using mature in a physical developmental sense.
- Science is an appropriate authority to help us decide when children are physically mature. There’s nothing wrong with appealing to a relevant authority.
- It doesn’t matter if some (2%?) of teenagers are mature at sixteen. We’re looking for an age where practically everyone is mature and is legally ready for adulthood. The law can’t examine everyone’s maturity individually, we have to go by age.___________
Recap: The question begins with “Editorialist: Society is obliged to bestow the”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn how to master LSAT Flaw questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.
More Resources for Flaw Questions
- Flaw drills: Use these to practice making examples of abstract flaws.
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Flaw questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers flaw questions.
CORRECT. Equivocates means shifting sides. The editorialist switches from using mature in a psychological sense to using mature in an emotional sense.
Hi I just wanted to flag this – I don’t think this explanation is entirely correct. The problem is that the editorialist switches from using mature in a PSYCHOLOGICAL (emotional) sense to a PHYSIOLOGICAL sense. Just thought this would help others understand more. Thank you for the free LSAT explanations! Seriously, really helps people like me who don’t have much money to be able to apply to law school. Thank you truly.
Hi, you’re right! Thank you for catching that typo. The sentence should say “The editorialist switches from using mature in a psychological sense to using mature in a physical sense.” I’ve corrected it now.
And glad to hear you’re enjoying the site!