PT69.S4.Q17 - Because no other theory has been able to predict

PreWorkout

Im just confused about the correct answer choice. In the stimulus it says "quite probably" but in the correct AC "D" we are told "is". Can someone please help me understand how this type of jump is acceptable?

Admin note: edited title
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-69-section-4-question-17/

how_do_you_badiou

Could you explain your thought process a bit more? Which answer did you choose?

Since this is a supporting principle question, all of the answer choices will likely contain axiomatic language. In other words, we are looking for something definitive ("is") that would help strengthen the author's claim. Further, I think you might have misrecognized the role that "quite probably" is playing in the stem: it's simply support for the actual conclusion, which is that this advance shouldn't be counted as evidence. Why shouldn't it be? Because Einstein knew about it and "quite probably" adjusted the numbers.

The stimulus isn't asking you to find a principle that accounts for probability, i.e. "If it's probable that he adjusted, then it shouldn't be counted," because that doesn't make the argument airtight. It just takes something arbitrary (the probability of him having adjusted) and uses it to justify the claim. Instead, the stimulus is asking for something that will shore up this uncertainty; we need an answer that guarantees that if he adjusted the numbers, then the advance of the perihelion of Mercury (whatever the hell that is haha) should not, under any circumstances, be counted as evidence.

D does this. It doesn't care about the probability of him having adjusted, it only cares that IF he did it, then it shouldn't be counted as evidence. This makes the argument pretty solid, because we have reasonable cause to believe Einstein adjusted the numbers, and given our principle, if that's true, the advance should not be counted as evidence in favor of the theory. Hope that helped!