LSAT 110 – Section 3 – Question 20

LSAT 110 - Section 3 - Question 20

June 2001

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT110 S3 Q20
+LR
Weaken +Weak
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
85%
167
B
1%
156
C
10%
161
D
3%
162
E
1%
156
139
149
159
 +Medium 145.976 +SubsectionMedium

Critic: Political utility determines the popularity of a metaphor. In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a human body governed by a head is pervasive. Therefore, the society-as-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.

Summarize Argument
The critic concludes the “society-as-body” metaphor justifies authoritarian rule better than other metaphors. Why? Because metaphors are popular to the extent they’re politically useful, and the society-as-body metaphor is popular in authoritarian societies.

Notable Assumptions
The critic assumes there’s no political use for the society-as-body metaphor except to justify authoritarian repression. He also assumes the society-as-family metaphor and the other metaphors mentioned are less popular in authoritarian societies than the society-as-body metaphor.

A
In authoritarian societies, the metaphor of society as a family is just as pervasive as the society-as-body metaphor.
This disputes the author’s assumption that the society-as-family metaphor is less popular than the society-as-body metaphor. If both metaphors are equally widespread, then the society-as-body metaphor cannot be popular simply because it justifies authoritarian rule.
B
Every society tries to justify the legitimacy of its government through the use of metaphor.
This strengthens the critic’s argument. It explains why the society-as-body metaphor would be politically useful to authoritarian governments.
C
The metaphor of society as a human body is sometimes used in nonauthoritarian societies.
This doesn’t say the society-as-body metaphor is popular in nonauthoritarian societies. It may be quite rare, in which case its relative popularity in authoritarian societies still supports the argument.
D
Authoritarian leaders are always searching for new metaphors for society in their effort to maintain their power.
This doesn’t say the society-as-body metaphor becomes less useful to authoritarian leaders over time—they can search for new metaphors without abandoning old ones.
E
The metaphor of society as a human body governed by a head is rarely used in liberal democracies.
This strengthens the argument. It supports the critic’s claim that metaphors are popular to the extent they’re politically useful, since it suggests the society-as-body metaphor is much more popular in authoritarian societies than in liberal democracies.

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LSAT PrepTest 110 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Reading Comprehension

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