LSAT 154 – Section 1 – Question 11

LSAT 154 - Section 1 - Question 11

September 2017

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT154 S1 Q11
+LR
+Exp
Sufficient assumption +SA
Conditional Reasoning +CondR
Link Assumption +LinkA
Eliminating Options +ElimOpt
A
3%
152
B
10%
155
C
85%
164
D
1%
151
E
1%
152
140
147
155
 +Medium 147.621 +SubsectionMedium

It is morally praiseworthy to be honest only if one is honest out of respect for morality. Strictly speaking, therefore, Downing did not act in a manner worthy of such praise when he told the judge the truth about his business partner’s fraudulence. Downing was motivated by concern for his own well-being—even though what he did was certainly honest.

Summary
The author concludes that Downing did not act in a praiseworthy manner when he told the truth about his partner’s fraud. This is based on the following:
Downing was motivated by concern for his own well-being.
In order for it to be morally praiseworthy to be honest, it is necessary that the honesty be done out of respect for morality.

Missing Connection
We know from the premises that if one’s honesty is not motivated by respect for morality, one does not deserve praise for that honesty. So in theory we could conclude that Downing did not act in a way that deserves praise...as long as we know he was not motivated by respect for morality.
Another premise tells us that Downing was motivated by self-concern. Does this guarantee that he was not motivated by respect for morality? Not necessarily, since someone can have multiple motivations. To make this argument valid, then, we want to establish that if someone’s motivation is self-concern, then they cannot also be motivated by morality.

A
An action motivated by concern for oneself cannot be deserving of moral condemnation.
We want to know that actions motivated by self-concern can’t be motivated by morality. (A) merely establishes that actions motivated by self-concern don’t deserve condemnation. This leaves open the possibility that Downing was still motivated by morality.
B
Some actions that are essentially honest are not morally praiseworthy.
Learning at least one (”some”) action that is honest isn’t morally praiseworthy does not prove that Downing’s action is not praiseworthy. The particular actions that are praiseworthy in (B) might refer to other actions. (Remember, this is a Suff. Assump. question. Not a MBT or MSS.)
C
An action performed out of respect for morality cannot also be an action motivated by concern for oneself.
(C) establishes that Downing’s action, which was motivated by self-concern, was not also motivated by morality. And this in turn proves that Downing’s action did not meet what’s necessary in order to be considered morally praiseworthy.
D
The moral praiseworthiness of an action can be judged only according to standards that refer to the circumstances of the person acting.
(D) doesn’t establish that Downing’s action was not motivated by morality. So it leaves open the possibility that Downing’s action can be morally praiseworthy.
E
Morality demands that one be honest, even in cases where this could be detrimental to one’s own well-being.
(E) doesn’t establish that Downing’s action was not motivated by morality. So it leaves open the possibility that Downing’s action can be morally praiseworthy.

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LSAT PrepTest 154 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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