LSAT 30, Logical Reasoning I, Q26, LSATHacks

LR Question 26 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: People ought to take into account a discipline's…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: People should take into account the blemished origins of a discipline when they assess the scientific value of that discipline.

REASONING: The author gives chemistry as an example. Once upon a time important chemical results were obtained by alchemists who believed in magic. 

ANALYSIS: The author hasn’t shown why we should care about origins. If modern day chemists no longer believe in magic then I don’t know why I should care about alchemists. 

___________

1. The author seems to be concluding that disciplines with blemished origins aren’t very valuable.
2. CORRECT. If chemists no longer believe in magic then maybe the origins of chemistry don’t matter. 
3. The example doesn’t contradict the idea that we should look at the origins of disciplines. 
4. The argument didn’t claim that most scientifically worthless disciplines have blemished origins. It just said that origins should be considered.
5. Discipline always has the same meaning: field of study. 

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