LSAT 63, Logical Reasoning I, Q14, LSATHacks

LR Question 14 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Waller: If there were really such a thing as…

QUESTION TYPE: Point At Issue

ARGUMENTS: Waller argues that if anyone really had ESP then it would be easy for them to convince the public that they had such powers. Since that hasn’t happened, ESP must not exist.

Chin argues that it is impossible to convince all skeptics. As long as the elite are skeptical then the general public will remain skeptical too.

ANALYSIS: The hardest part about this question is realizing that Chin does not say whether or not he thinks ESP is real. He just thinks that the fact that the public does not believe in ESP does not necessarily mean that ESP does not exist.

In other words, Chin thinks ESP could exist, even if the public doesn’t believe in ESP. 

___________

1. Chin doesn’t say that ESP is necessarily real. He just argues that if it were real it still might be difficult for people to convince the public that they had ESP.
2. Waller doesn’t claim that literally every skeptic could be convinced. He just thinks that the general public (e.g. most people) could be convinced. The earth is a big place, and it’s hard to imagine convincing every single human that ESP exists. 
3. Waller thinks that skeptics have a strong case. Chin doesn’t say whether he believes in ESP.
4. CORRECT. Waller thinks that lack of belief is good evidence that no ESP exists. Chin believes that it isn’t: the lack of belief could be caused by elite skepticism.
5. They both agree that the general public tends not to believe in ESP.

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