LSAT 6 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Those influenced by modern Western science take it for granted…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: There is no scientific basis for rejecting astrology.

REASONING: Some smart scientific people once believed in astrology.

ANALYSIS: This is a very bad argument. Scientific knowledge changes. The smart people in the past may have believed astrology because it seemed accurate. Fewer scientists believe in astrology now.

Further, science is not a matter of whether scientists believe something. It depends on what scientists can prove or disprove. Many very intelligent scientists hold idiotic beliefs on matters not related to their specialties.

___________

1. CORRECT. Yes. Astrology seemed to make sense in the past but it doesn’t make sense now. There may be a scientific basis for rejecting astrology even though there was no such basis in the past.
2. The argument is not trying to prove astrology. The argument is saying that we don’t have enough evidence to disprove astrology. There’s a difference between disproving something (it must be false) and proving something (it must be true.)
3. Find me a spot in the stimulus where it says the people who believed in astrology were Western. It simply doesn’t occur. Someone could have made this same argument in China, India or anywhere else.
4. “Practitioners of Western science?” This is like answer choice C. The answer choice pull this out of nowhere. The argument talked about certain people of scientific brilliance believing in astrology. It did not claim they were the same people as all practitioners of science.
5. This isn’t relevant to the conclusion, which is restricted to the claim that there are no “scientific” reason for rejecting astrology.

Recap: The question begins with “Those influenced by modern Western science take it for granted”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. Learn more about LSAT Flaw questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.