PT34.S3.Q20 - critic: political utility determines the popularity

LsatbreakingnewsLsatbreakingnews Alum Member
edited June 2016 in Logical Reasoning 392 karma
https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-34-section-3-question-20/
Hi guys, having a little bit of trouble with this weakening question. Here's my understanding of it.
(Premise) -> In authoritarian society the metaphor society as a human body governed by it's head is pervasive. (What makes something pervasive? If it has political utility as mentioned in the first sentence)

(Conclusion) -> Therefore, the society as a body metaphor, with its connection between society's proper functioning and governance by a head, promotes greater acceptance of authoritarian repression than do other metaphors, such as likening society to a family.

So-> My guess of the logical jump being made from p -> c is that since in authoritarian regime has great utility in the society as a body metaphor over society as a family metaphor for acceptance of opression/proper function it is therfore more pervasive. S
So the answer choice (A) weakens this by saying that since in an authoritarian society both are as popular, the pervasiveness is not fully determined by utility?

Basically im confused as hell.

Comments

  • nye8870nye8870 Alum ⭐
    1749 karma
    @Euthyphro said:
    the logical jump being made
    Yes the assumption unstated is that "as a family" is less pervasive. But ac-A comes in and contradicts this assumption and weakens (perhaps destroys) the argument. Good analysis :-)
  • blah170blahblah170blah Alum Inactive ⭐
    3545 karma
    Answer Choice (A) is correct for the reason you outlined here: "so the answer choice (A) weakens this by saying that since in an authoritarian society both are as popular"

    However, we can't necessarily assume this: the pervasiveness is not fully determined by utility? .

    The conclusion the argument is making is that the "society as body metaphor" is more pervasive than "society as family." However, we can't justify the comparison because we have no idea how popular the "society as family" metaphor is. In fact, it could be that both are useful (therefore validating the premise that pervasiveness is determined by utility) but that doesn't give us a way to compare metaphors.
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