QUESTION TEXT: If the purpose of laws is to…
QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning
CONCLUSION: Current laws are legitimate merely because they are laws.
REASONING:
- Purpose is happiness –> basis for criticizing laws
- purpose is happiness –> basis for criticizing laws
ANALYSIS: The reasoning makes an incorrect negation. Another way of describing this error is mistaking sufficient as being necessary.
___________
- CORRECT.“Purpose is happiness” was a sufficient condition for having a basis for criticism. The argument mistakes it for also being a necessary condition. That’s called an incorrect negation: thinking that negating the sufficient also negates the necessary. (It doesn’t)
- This is a different flaw: correlation is not causation.
Example of flaw: Happy citizens are associated with good laws. So, happy citizens cause good laws. - This is a different flaw: using a word in two different ways.
Example of flaw: That man likes rare steaks. So, he must have to search a long time to find such rare items. - This is a different flaw. It involves mixing up fact and morality.
Example of flaw: Everyone should be equal. Therefore everyone is equal. - This is a whole to part flaw.
Example of flaw: The Swiss are a rich people. So, this Swiss hobo is rich.
Recap: The question begins with “If the purpose of laws is to”. It is a Flawed Reasoning question. To practice more Flawed Reasoning questions, have a look at the LSAT Questions by Type page.
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