LSAT 143 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q3

LR Question 3 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Critic: Rock music is musically bankrupt and socially…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: Rock music is all bad.

REASONING: We already knew that rock music has no moral worth and destroys society. But at least old rock LPs had nice art. But now digital music means people don’t buy many LPs.

ANALYSIS: This is a bad argument. It tells us that one advantage is gone (LP sales are ending). But it introduces a new factor, digital music, and doesn’t tell us whether digital music gives rock some redeeming value.

___________

1. CORRECT. If digital music has nice art, then maybe rock music still has some value.
   Negation: Digital music is distributed with innovative art.
2. The argument is stronger if this is false. We’re looking for something that helps the argument if it’s true, not something that hurts it.
   Negation: Few of the small number of LPs produced today are rock LPs.
3. This answer is helpful, but it’s not necessary. The negation of this answer doesn’t affect the argument.
   Negation: In the 1960s and 70s, almost all of the nice LP art was on rock albums. But one jazz album also had innovative art.
4. It’s helpful to know that LPs still have innovative art. But this doesn’t matter. The point of the argument is that few LPs are being produced today.
5. This weakens the argument. It says rock music is even worse than it used to be. Necessary assumption answers are supposed to strengthen the argument if true (and destroy it if false).