LSAT 5 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Mary, a veterinary student, has been assigned an experiment…

QUESTION TYPE: Principle

ANALYSIS: We should take note of all of the circumstances.

1. The dog was healthy.
2. The dog was anesthetized, and would feel no pain.
3. The experiment may or may not have had a purpose apart from letting Mary observe the effects of shock.
4. The dog would die.

___________

1. The dog doesn’t feel pain, and the experiment isn’t gratuitous: Mary gets to learn about shock.
2. CORRECT. Mary isn’t immediately saving animal lives or protecting the health of a person. Therefore the experiment was not justified.
3. Lack of a sufficient justification doesn’t tell us that something is wrong. Mary had to have decided that the experiment should not be done.
4. Mary is not a practicing veterinarian. This is irrelevant. We also don’t know whether the dog’s death was unnecessary.
5. Mary’s sole intention was not to cause death. She also would have had the intent of observing the effects of shock.

Recap: The question begins with “Mary, a veterinary student, has been assigned an experiment”. It is a Principle question. Learn more about LSAT Principle questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.