LSAT 147 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q2

LR Question 2 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: A lack of trust in one’s neighbors leads to their…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: If you don’t trust your neighbors, they will become criminals.

REASONING: In neighborhoods with locked doors, there is more burglary.

ANALYSIS: This argument clearly has causation backwards. The more plausible explanation is that high crime causes locked doors.

The situation in this argument is actually very funny. It’s saying that if you notice your neighbor’s door is locked, you will become enraged at their lack of trust, and burgle them.

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1. This is a different flaw.
    
   Example of flaw: Committing a burglary makes someone a criminal. So clearly, burglary is necessary to being a criminal. John killed someone, but he didn’t rob them, so John isn’t a criminal.
2. This is a different flaw.
    
   Example of flaw: I could help my neighbor by buying them a lock. So I should buy them one, or I am a bad person.
3. This is a different flaw, and very rarely occurs.
    
   Example of flaw: I got a good performance review yesterday. And yesterday, the performance review I got was bad. So, I will……[It doesn’t matter what the conclusion is: the data contradict each other.]
4. This means circular reasoning. That’s a different situation: one where literally no evidence is presented. Here, the author presented a new study as evidence.
    
   Example of flaw: Lack of trust cause of crime. So clearly, crime is caused by lack of trust.
5. CORRECT. The author ignores the obvious possibility that people lock their doors because crime is high. They instead assume that door locking is the cause.