PT45.S4.Q16 - Most people in modern society

whatsmyname

Hi there, #help please

How would you contra-pose MOST?:
X --most-- Y

would it be:
Y --most-- X

OR

Y←some→X

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As an example: PT45.S4.Q16

1. Not happy unless needed by others
2. Most people can achieve indispensability ONLY within family.

• H ----> NO
• NO ---most---> F

contra-positive of 2:

• F ---most--->NO

OR

• F←some→NO

Both would give us answer choice (E), Less than most people can find happiness outside of personal relationships

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Thanks!

Admin Note: https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-45-section-4-question-16/

canihazJD

You cannot take the contrapositive of "most" statements. In your example you don't know enough about the world of "not NO".

If most A are B then...
Some A are B
Some B are A
It's possible that all A are B
You cannot say that most B are anything
You cannot say that most things that aren't A are anything
You cannot say that most things that aren't B are anything

IIRC thats all you get.

I don't think this question lends itself to conditional logic. IMO the first premise is a trap to set you up to agonize over the rest of the stimulus.

If you're happy, you feel needed.
Most people know that their job can be done by many others.
So, most people feel needed only through family and friendship.

A. cannot achieve any happiness... nope
B. we're not concerned with importance
C. unsupported.. .all we know about most people in modern society is that they feel needed only through family and friendship because they know that their job can be done by many others.
D. we're not concerned with appreciation for jobs
E. This is the only answer that is supported. Most people find happiness only through family and friends, so not most people find happiness elsewhere.

whatsmyname

@canihazJD said:

Gotcha. Thanks!