LSAT Explanation PT 23, S2, Q11: A severe blow to the head

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the example of the damaged radio? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Method of Reasoning question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's break down the argument in the passage. The passage discusses the relationship between consciousness and the brain. It starts with a premise that a severe blow to the head can cause one to lose consciousness. Some people infer from this that consciousness is a product of the brain and cannot survive bodily death. This is the conclusion that the author is trying to argue against.

The author uses the example of a damaged radio to illustrate their point. The radio analogy is meant to show that just because a radio stops broadcasting a program when it's damaged, it doesn't mean the program itself has ceased to exist. The author argues that this example demonstrates the need for more substantial evidence before concluding that consciousness does not survive bodily death.

Now, let's analyze the question type and answer choices. The question is a Method of Reasoning (MOR) question, which asks us to identify the role played by the radio example in the argument.

a) The radio example is not cited as evidence that consciousness survives bodily death. The author is arguing that more evidence is needed to make this conclusion, not that it's already proven.

b) The radio example is not cited as a counterexample to a widely accepted belief about the nature of consciousness. The author is using the analogy to show that a similar conclusion is not drawn in the case of the radio and to argue that more evidence is needed before concluding that consciousness does not survive bodily death.

c) This answer choice is correct. The radio example is cited as a case analogous to loss of consciousness in which people do not draw the same sort of conclusion that some people draw about consciousness. The author uses this analogy to argue that more evidence is needed before making such a conclusion about consciousness.

d) The radio example is not cited as the primary piece of evidence for the conclusion that the relationship of consciousness to the brain is analogous to that of a radio program to the radio that receives it. Instead, the author uses the radio example to argue that more evidence is needed to conclude that consciousness does not survive bodily death.

e) The radio example is not cited as an example of a case in which something consisting purely of energy depends on the existence of something material to provide evidence of its existence. The author is not discussing energy versus matter, but rather using the radio analogy to argue for the need for more evidence before concluding that consciousness does not survive bodily death.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (c), as the radio example is cited as a case analogous to loss of consciousness where people do not draw the same sort of conclusion that some people draw about consciousness. The author uses this analogy to argue that more substantial evidence is needed before concluding that consciousness does not survive bodily death.