LSAT 127 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q23

LR Question 23 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Columnist: Even if the primary purpose of university education…

QUESTION TYPE: Strengthen

CONCLUSION: University education should emphasize the liberal arts over narrow technical training.

REASONING: Study of the liberal arts provides reasoning skills which allow one to succeed at jobs for which one has no specialized training.

ANALYSIS: The stimulus gives us one advantage of liberal arts training over technical training. To strengthen the conclusion, we’ll need another advantage, or a reason why technical training wouldn’t be as effective.

___________

1. The stimulus is talking about education as a means to getting a job. It is not arguing we should choose between the two.
2. The stimulus doesn’t claim people with technical training can’t find jobs. And even if true, this would weaken the conclusion, at best.
3. The stimulus is not saying we should have many different jobs. It says a liberal arts education would allow us to choose between a variety of different jobs, and to succeed at any one of them.
4. The stimulus doesn’t talk about a general understanding of life. It talks about general reasoning skills.
5. CORRECT. Yes. If technical training does provide general reasoning skills, then that would negate the only advantage given for the liberal arts. If technical training doesn’t provide these skills, the argument is strengthened.

Recap: The question begins with “Columnist: Even if the primary purpose of university education”. It is a Strengthen question. Learn how to master LSAT Strengthen questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.