LSAT Explanation PT 24, S2, Q23: Essayist: The existence of a moral

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following most accurately describes a flaw in the essayist's reasoning? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In this LSAT problem, we have a Flaw question. The passage presents an argument by an essayist about the existence of a moral order in the universe. The essayist claims that the existence of a moral order depends on human souls being immortal, and this moral order can be represented in various ways, such as through karma or the actions of a supreme being. The essayist concludes that if human souls are immortal, then it follows that the bad will be punished.

Let's break down the argument's structure:

- Premise: The existence of a moral order depends on human souls being immortal.

- Premise: This moral order can be represented through karma or the actions of a supreme being.

- Conclusion: If human souls are immortal, then the bad will be punished.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Does the immortality of human souls guarantee the existence of a moral order?"

Now let's analyze the answer choices:

a) Correct answer. This choice points out that the essayist is confusing the necessary condition (the immortality of human souls) with a sufficient condition for an element of the moral order (the bad being punished). Just because the immortality of human souls is necessary for a moral order, it doesn't mean that it is sufficient to ensure that the bad will be punished.

b) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument doesn't treat beliefs as established facts. Instead, it discusses how different cultures represent the concept of a moral order.

c) This answer choice is incorrect because it reverses the author's position. The author claims that a moral order depends on human souls being immortal, not that the immortality of human souls guarantees a moral order.

d) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument doesn't treat two fundamentally different conceptions of a moral order as essentially the same. Instead, it acknowledges that different cultures have different representations of a moral order.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because the conclusion is not presupposed in the definition of a moral order. The definition of a moral order is an order in which bad is always eventually punished and good rewarded, but it doesn't mention the immortality of human souls.

In summary, the correct answer is choice A, as it accurately describes the flaw in the essayist's reasoning by pointing out the confusion between necessary and sufficient conditions.