LSAT 122 – Section 2 – Question 14

LSAT 122 - Section 2 - Question 14

June 2006

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Question QuickView	Type	Tags	Answer Choices	Curve	Question Difficulty	Psg/Game/S Difficulty	Explanation
PT122 S2 Q14	+LR	Weaken +Weak	A 3% 161 B 70% 165 C 1% 157 D 12% 160 E 14% 160	133 150 167	+Medium	146.896 +SubsectionMedium

Scientist: A controversy in paleontology centers on the question of whether prehistoric human ancestors began to develop sophisticated tools before or after they came to stand upright. I argue that they stood upright first, simply because advanced toolmaking requires free use of the hands, and standing upright makes this possible.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

The scientist hypothesizes that prehistoric human ancestors stood upright before they developed sophisticated tools. This is based on the idea that making these tools required the free use of their hands, which standing would have provided.

Notable Assumptions

The scientist assumes that standing up, a sufficient condition for the free use of hands, is also a necessary condition for the free use of hands. In other words, the scientist assumes there is no other way prehistoric human ancestors could have freed their hands without standing. This overlooks alternative explanations, such as sitting, which also allows for hands to be freed.

Many animals that do not stand upright have learned to make basic tools.

This does not affect the argument, which is concerned with sophisticated tools, not basic ones.

Advanced hunting weapons have been discovered among the artifacts belonging to prehistoric human ancestors who did not stand upright.

This weakens the argument. It attacks the assumption that standing up is a necessary condition for the free use of hands, which (B) says is not true. If prehistoric human ancestors made advanced weapons without standing up, they must have freed their hands without standing.

Many prehistoric human ancestors who stood upright had no sophisticated tools.

This does not affect the argument, as the scientist does not argue that prehistoric human ancestors stood because they required sophisticated tools.

Those prehistoric human ancestors who first came to stand upright had no more dexterity with their hands than did those who did not stand upright.

This does not affect the argument. The scientist argues that prehistoric human ancestors stood before they made tools because they required the free use of their hands, not because standing made their hands more dexterous.

Many of the earliest sophisticated tools did not require their users to be able to stand upright.

This does not affect the argument. The scientist is concerned with whether the people who made the tools needed to stand, not with whether the people who used the tools needed to stand.

LSAT 122 – Section 2 – Question 14

LSAT 122 - Section 2 - Question 14

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LSAT PrepTest 122 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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