LSAT 112 – Section 4 – Question 14

LSAT 112 - Section 4 - Question 14

December 2001

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT112 S4 Q14
+LR
+Exp
Flaw or descriptive weakening +Flaw
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
Lack of Support v. False Conclusion +LSvFC
Fact v. Belief v. Knowledge +FvBvK
A
5%
160
B
3%
160
C
73%
168
D
2%
160
E
16%
163
139
153
166
 +Harder 142.561 +SubsectionEasier

J.Y.’s explanation

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Joseph: My encyclopedia says that the mathematician Pierre de Fermat died in 1665 without leaving behind any written proof for a theorem that he claimed nonetheless to have proved. Probably this alleged theorem simply cannot be proved, since—as the article points out—no one else has been able to prove it. Therefore it is likely that Fermat was either lying or else mistaken when he made his claim.

Laura: Your encyclopedia is out of date. Recently someone has in fact proved Fermat’s theorem. And since the theorem is provable, your claim—that Fermat was lying or mistaken—clearly is wrong.

A
It purports to establish its conclusion by making a claim that, if true, would actually contradict that conclusion.

Laura’s premise doesn't support her conclusion well, but it doesn’t contradict her conclusion.

B
It mistakenly assumes that the quality of a person’s character can legitimately be taken to guarantee the accuracy of the claims that person has made.

Laura doesn’t make any claims or assumptions about the quality of Fermat’s character or how his character affects the accuracy of his claims.

C
It mistakes something that is necessary for its conclusion to follow for something that ensures that the conclusion follows.

In order for Laura’s conclusion— that Fermat was neither lying nor mistaken about proving the theorem— to follow, it is necessary that the theorem is actually provable. But the theorem being provable does not ensure that this conclusion follows.

D
It uses the term “provable” without defining it.

It’s true that Laura never defines the term “provable,” but this isn’t an error in her argument. She doesn’t need to define the term.

E
It fails to distinguish between a true claim that has mistakenly been believed to be false and a false claim that has mistakenly been believed to be true.

Laura doesn’t mention either of these kinds of claims, nor does she fail to distinguish between them. Joseph mistakenly believes a true claim— that the theorem is provable— to be false, but this doesn’t describe an error in Laura’s argument.

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LSAT PrepTest 112 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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