PT9.S4.Q18 - For most ethical dilemmas - Why is only C correct?

TomTom517TomTom517 Core Member
edited February 2022 in Logical Reasoning 14 karma

I'm having trouble justifying why only C is correct in this MC question.

My understanding is that Anita's conclusion is that the journalistic guidance Marcus cites is inadequate. So wouldn't both A and B also be satisfactory answers here? Both say that the guidance Marcus cites is bad, either by saying the guidance is not clear in all ethical dilemmas (A) or that the guidance is not correct in all ethical dilemmas (B). Both clear and correct are used in the guidance cited by Marcus.

Is my mistake misunderstanding how the word inadequate is used here? So, Anita saying the guidance is inadequate does not mean Anita thinks it is not correct in all dilemmas or not clear in all dilemmas? But to me, both situationally incorrect and situationally unclear mean the guidance is inadequate!

Sorry if this confusing. I'm confused. To be clear, I understand why C is correct.

Admin Note: Edited title. Please use the format: "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of the question"

Comments

  • LivinLaVidaLSATLivinLaVidaLSAT Alum Member
    710 karma

    The big thing that jumps out to me about the wrong answer choices is the strong language. Anita doesn’t say that Marcus (M) is flat out wrong. They’re testing to see if you can identify which part of M’s argument Anita is attacking. She doesn’t totally disagree with M’s conclusion. The things that you pointed out in answers A and B are the reasons they are wrong.

    When more than one answer seems correct, that tells me that I didn’t really understand the argument. So, what do I do? Always go back to the stimulus, asking myself, “what did I miss?” Taking time to parse the specific language used in the stimulus and the answers usually helps me clear things up. I learn a lot from questions like this. And in the case where there are 2 speakers, I’m looking for equivalent language and what specific points they disagree about.

    Stimulus:
    In comparing the 2 arguments, there is one part of M’s’ conclusion Anita attacks. To highlight the point of disagreement, I’m going to really simplify their points.

    Marcus: X is clear, adequate, and essentially correct.
    Anita: X is inadequate.

    What’s X? For most ethical dilemmas, traditional journalistic ethics (Marcus) = in the typical case, this guidance (Anita)

    Answers:
    A: Did Anita say X is not clear? No. Antia did not attack this part of M’s claim.
    B: Did Anita say X is incorrect? No. Furthermore, Anita doesn’t give an example to “illustrate” M is wrong. “Illustrates” indicates to me there needs to be a specific example. Not sure if this is the intended meaning by test writers.
    C: This is a direct rephrasing of Anita’s conclusion (her 2nd sentence). In a typical case, M’s principle doesn’t help = it’s inadequate.
    D: This is an extreme answer. No principle can ever be helpful? Anita's point is about M's principle.
    E: Huh? Very strong language. Focuses on something Anita mentioned before stating her point.

    Is my mistake misunderstanding how the word inadequate is used here?

    Yes. The more you study, the more you'll see how deliberate the word choice is. Stick with the dictionary definition of words. This won't always match up with the way the word is used in everyday speech (biggest shocker for most is some).

    Inadequate doesn't mean the same as incorrect. Inadequate means not sufficient, not good enough. Here's a relatable example.

    Redditor180: Your application must be complete to be considered for admission to Pacific Ocean Law School.
    Student: Okay. What do I need to submit?
    Redditor180: LSAT score, writing sample, and 2 letters of recommendation. I applied yesterday.
    Student: Cool! I'm all set.

    A month later... Student learns her application was not considered. Redditor180 forgot to mention college transcript needed to be submitted. Did Redditor180 give incorrect information? No, he listed things that needed to be submitted, but this information was inadequate.

  • TomTom517TomTom517 Core Member
    edited February 2022 14 karma

    Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I'm now much further along in my studies so I'm beginning to understand the importance of precision in terms of reading the stimuli and word usage. I tripped up on this question during one of my first problem sets and it was frustrating.

    Your response allowed me to go back to this question and think more about what I missed. For me, it helped to zero on the word "newsworthy" which is in Marcus' guidance and is the core of Anita's critique. By saying Marcus' guidance doesn't say anything about what is newsworthy, she is saying it's not enough (or its inadequate). She's not saying it's unclear (I chose A initially), as she understands the guidance and its lesson re: newsworthy information.

    You're exactly right when you say "this won't always match up with the way the word is used in everyday speech." Most all of us would say that a piece of guidance that doesn't include enough information or doesn't define one of its terms would be unclear and therefore incorrect. But, of course, that isn't the exact definition of unclear, which the LSAT would use.

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