LSAT 116 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q12

LR Question 12 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Essayist: People once believed that Earth was at the center…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

PARAPHRASE OF ARGUMENT: Because ancient people’s reasons were wrong, their conclusion must have been wrong too.

ANALYSIS: It’s quite possible to hold a correct belief for incorrect reasons. Kids are correct that there will be presents in their stockings on Christmas – but it’s not because Santa Claus is real.

That’s why the LSAT can be hard – most of the time we muddle through life, succeeding even though we are not 100% logically consistent. This normally doesn’t pose a problem, until you decide to go to law school.

___________

1. This gets it backwards. The argument presumes that things without good reasons cannot be believed.
2. CORRECT. That’s the flaw. It is possible for something to be correct even if the reasoning for it is stupid.
3. Totally irrelevant, and false. There can be reasons for disbelieving true statements.
4. The essayist is making a conclusion about our importance, not our perception of our importance.
5. Same as D.

Recap: The question begins with “Essayist: People once believed that Earth was at the center”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.