LSAT Explanation PT 23, S2, Q4: Political scientist: The concept of freedom

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the argument is questionable because the argument 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's begin by analyzing the passage. The political scientist argues that the concept of freedom is vague, and so are the notions of justice, fairness, and equality. Due to this vagueness, the political scientist concludes that political organization should be disavowed as futile. The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: The concept of freedom and related notions are hopelessly vague.

Conclusion: Political organization should be disavowed as futile.

To make this more relatable, imagine if someone argued that because the concept of 'healthy food' is vague, we should give up on trying to eat healthily altogether.

Now, let's form an "Evaluate" question: "Does the vagueness of the concepts of freedom, justice, fairness, and equality necessarily imply that political organization is futile?"

The question type for this problem is Flaw, which means we need to identify the flaw in the reasoning of the argument.

a) The argument doesn't generalize from an unrepresentative sample to every political idea. The political scientist focuses on specific concepts (freedom, justice, fairness, and equality) and their vagueness, rather than making a generalization about all political ideas.

b) Although the political scientist claims that the concept of freedom is hopelessly vague, they provide some support for this claim by stating that any definition of freedom will either exclude or admit certain acts. The unsupported claim is not the main flaw in the reasoning.

c) The argument doesn't ignore that some people view freedom as indispensable. The political scientist is focusing on the vagueness of the concept, not people's opinions about its importance.

d) This is the correct answer. The argument fails to show any specific link between the vagueness of concepts such as freedom and the rejection of political organization. The political scientist jumps from the premise that these concepts are vague to the conclusion that political organization is futile, without explaining why one necessarily leads to the other.

e) There is no indication in the passage that the political scientist has a vested interest in the rejection of political organization. This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument's reasoning.

In conclusion, the flaw in the argument is that it fails to show a specific link between the vagueness of concepts such as freedom and the rejection of political organization (answer choice D).