LSAT 74, Logical Reasoning I, Q2

QUESTION TEXT: Archaeologist: How did the Parthenon’s…

QUESTION TYPE: Strengthen

CONCLUSION: The Parthenon’s stonemasons may have used a drawing similar to the one found at Didyma.

REASONING: At Didyma, there is a drawing in a temple which shows the correct width of a column using a grid.

ANALYSIS: The archaeologist is trying to figure out how the stonemasons calculated the width of the columns at the Parthenon.

The only evidence is a drawing that could have been used to measure widths. The fact that something could have been used by architects doesn’t mean that drawings were actually used by architects. We can strengthen this argument by supporting the idea that Greeks used drawings when constructing buildings.

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1. This actually weakens the argument, a little. Modern architects use drawings. If such a method fails to recreate the Parthenon, then maybe the ancients had other methods.
2. This weakens the argument. It raises the possibility that architectural drawing was only developed after the Parthenon was built.
3. CORRECT. This supports the argument by showing that drawings indeed were used for construction.
4. So? The author wasn’t saying the Didyma drawings were used to construct the Parthenon. Their implied argument was that a similar but different drawing would have been used at the Parthenon.
5. The fact that the architects were experienced doesn’t explain how they carved columns.

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