LSAT 153 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q9

LR Question 9 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Ellen: A group of economists and ecologists recently estimated…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: Ellen says conservation of the Earth’s biosphere should be a high priority because experts valued its “services” at $33 trillion per year.

Santiago replies that they dislike the use of an economic calculation as an argument for conservation, as it implies that the biosphere is most useful for its “services” to humanity.

ANALYSIS: Ellen clearly views this economic value as a compelling argument for conservation. Santiago is uncomfortable with the argument and the implications it brings. This is where they disagree.

___________

1. CORRECT. Ellen likes the economic value as a rationale (because she uses it), but Santiago thinks it is not appropriate.
2. Ellen never compares the value of the “services” to other value from the biosphere.
3. Santiago never argued that Ellen’s rationale would be ineffective, only that it carried problematic implications.
4. Santiago doesn’t indicate that they think calculating the dollar value is unrealistic. They just think it’s wrong.
5. Santiago clearly thinks it does, but we don’t know whether Ellen agrees or disagrees. Maybe she agrees, but thinks that the biosphere’s most important value is in the “services” it provides.

Recap: The question begins with “Ellen: A group of economists and ecologists recently estimated”. It is a Point at Issue question. Learn how to master LSAT Point at Issue questions on the LSAT Logical Reasoning question types page.