LSAT 4 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q19

LR Question 19 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Meat in the diet is healthy.

REASONING: Most doctors eat meat, and don’t doctors know a lot about health?

ANALYSIS: This is a bad argument. Many doctors smoke, too. That doesn’t make smoking a good idea.

Doctors can be wrong and doctors can do stupid things.

___________

1. Smith doesn’t even mention any opponents.
2. Smith mentions most doctors. They aren’t an atypical sample.
3. This is not circular reasoning. Smith does provide evidence for his conclusion that meat is healthy: doctors eat meat.
4. Doctors are a relevant authority. There is no problem in appealing to them. But smith doesn’t appeal to their expert knowledge. Instead Smith appeals to their actions. It would have been better if Smith had asked doctors if the meat was safe.
5. CORRECT. Exactly. Many doctors do things they wouldn’t recommend to their patients. They’re only human. Smith takes for granted that they act correctly all the time.

Recap: The question begins with “Smith: Meat in the diet is healthy, despite what some people”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn how to master LSAT Flaw questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.