LSAT 107 – Section 4 – Question 18

LSAT 107 - Section 4 - Question 18

October 1999

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT107 S4 Q18
+LR
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Rule-Application +RuleApp
A
4%
159
B
76%
166
C
2%
156
D
18%
161
E
0%
154
137
150
163
 +Medium 141.321 +SubsectionEasier

All actions are motivated by self-interest, since any action that is apparently altruistic can be described in terms of self-interest. For example, helping someone can be described in terms of self-interest: the motivation is hope for a reward or other personal benefit to be bestowed as a result of the helping action.

A
The term “self-interest” is allowed to shift in meaning over the course of the argument.
The term “self-interest” is used in the same way at all points in the argument.
B
The argument takes evidence showing merely that its conclusion could be true to constitute evidence showing that the conclusion is in fact true.
This is exactly what the argument does. Just showing that altruistic actions could’ve been done out of self-interest doesn’t prove they were actually done out of self-interest.
C
The argument does not explain what is meant by “reward” and “personal benefit.”
The author doesn’t have to define these terms. He is just arguing that all actions are done out of self-interest.
D
The argument ignores the possibility that what is taken to be necessary for a certain interest to be a motivation actually suffices to show that that interest is a motivation.
This is the cookie-cutter flaw of mistaking a sufficient condition for a necessary condition, which doesn’t occur in this argument. The argument doesn’t rely on conditional reasoning, and no necessary or sufficient conditions are discussed.
E
The argument depends for its appeal only on the emotional content of the example cited.
The argument doesn’t appeal to emotions. It uses an example to illustrate how a seemingly altruistic action can be described in terms of self-interest.

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LSAT PrepTest 107 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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