LSAT 156 – Section 2 – Question 13

LSAT 156 - Section 2 - Question 13

July 2020

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT156 S2 Q13
+LR
Main conclusion or main point +MC
A
8%
152
B
8%
150
C
11%
150
D
6%
151
E
66%
160
135
148
160
 +Medium 145.275 +SubsectionEasier

Santayana recommends that we study history to avoid the mistakes of the past. But we should not follow his advice. For, since history consists of unique and unrepeatable accidents, none of the crises we now face are the same as those our ancestors faced. Thus, studying history never enables one to avoid mistakes of the past.

Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author rejects Santayana’s recommendation that we should study history to avoid the mistakes of the past. Studying history doesn’t allow us to avoid the mistakes of the past, so it doesn’t make sense to study history for the purpose of avoiding those mistakes.

Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the author’s rejection of Santayana’s recommendation: “we should not follow his advice.”

A
People should not study history, since doing so leads them to misunderstand the crises they now face.
This twists the conclusion. The author never suggested that we shouldn’t study history at all. Rather, he argued that we shouldn’t study it for the purpose of learning from mistakes. It might be OK to study it for another reason.
B
Every historical period is different from every other historical period.
This doesn’t capture the author’s rejection of Santayana’s recommendation. It’s also unclear whether the author ever discussed historical “periods” as opposed to historical events.
C
Although the crises one generation faces may appear to be the same as those another generation faces, they never are.
This relates to the premise and doesn’t capture the conclusion. Also, the author never suggested that the crises of one generation may look similar to those of another generation.
D
Studying history is valuable, but not for the reason that Santayana suggests.
This is never stated or implied, so it can’t be the conclusion. The author never suggested studying history is valuable.
E
One should not try to avoid repeating the mistakes of previous generations by studying history.
This is a paraphrase of the claim that we should not follow Santayana’s advice.

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LSAT PrepTest 156 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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