LSAT 5 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q6

LR Question 6 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Historian: Alexander the Great should not be judged by appeal…

QUESTION TYPE: Method of Reasoning

ANALYSIS: The student makes a good point. The historian is arguing that we should judge Alexander the Great using contemporary standards: we should use the standards of his time. Yet they also argue that we should see if Alexander the great “raised” the standard of justice.

The first is an objective criterion: did Alexander’s contemporaries think he did a good job? The second criterion is subjective: did Alexander “improve” justice.

(The historian could reply that we could ask whether Alexander’s contemporaries thought he improved justice.)

___________

1. The student doesn’t mention anything about our knowledge of Alexander’s time. Their issue is entirely with the standard used by the professor.
2. The principle isn’t inconsistent with itself. It is only inconsistent with the historian’s claim that we should ask if Alexander improved justice.
3. The student does not actually dispute that Alexander was heroic. They have a problem with the professor’s standard for judging Alexander: they think it is inconsistent.
4. The student did not attack the historian personally.
5. CORRECT. Yes. The principle is that we must judge Alexander using the standards of his own culture. Yet how then can we say whether he subjectively improved justice?

Recap: The question begins with “Historian: Alexander the Great should not be judged by appeal”. It is a Method of Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Method of Reasoning questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.