LSAT 113 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q22

LR Question 22 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The druid stones discovered in Ireland are…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: This druid stone discovered in Scotland must be recent.

REASONING: The druid stones discovered in Ireland are old.

ANALYSIS: This is a silly argument. The fact that Irish druid stones are old doesn’t mean that only Irish druid stones are old.

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1. Old always means the same thing: made a long time ago.
2. The argument doesn’t even use a word that means “most.” 
3. This isn’t circular reasoning. There is (bad) evidence presented: the stone is Scottish, not Irish.
4. The argument is making a claim about the present, not the future. It’s talking about how old the stone is, right now.
5. CORRECT. The argument assumes that only Irish stones are old because all Irish stones are old. But Scottish druid stones could be old too.