LSAT Explanation PT 26, S3, Q17: Parents who wish to provide a

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to consider that 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The argument can be broken down into the following parts:

1. Premise: Parents who wish to provide a strong foundation for the musical ability of their children should provide them with a good musical education.

2. Premise: Formal instruction is often a part of a good musical education.

3. Conclusion: Parents who wish to provide this strong foundation need to ensure that their children receive formal instruction.

Notice that the conclusion is based on the premises provided. To make the argument more understandable, let's use a simple example. Imagine a parent wants their child to be good at soccer. The argument is saying that if a parent wants their child to have a strong foundation in soccer, they should provide them with good soccer education, which often includes formal instruction. Therefore, the parent should ensure their child receives formal instruction.

Now, let's create an "Evaluate" question for this argument: "Is formal instruction always necessary for a good musical education?"

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

Let's discuss each answer choice:

a) This answer choice is incorrect because it is not relevant to the argument. The argument is focused on parents providing a strong foundation for their children's musical ability, not on other sources of musical education.

b) This answer choice is also incorrect because it is not relevant to the argument. The argument is about what parents should do if they want to provide a strong foundation for their children's musical ability, not about whether the children are interested in it.

c) This answer choice is incorrect because it does not address the flaw in the argument. The argument is about providing a strong foundation for musical ability through a good musical education, not about the actual musical ability of those who received formal instruction.

d) This answer choice is correct because it points out the flaw in the argument. The argument assumes that formal instruction is always necessary for a good musical education, but this is not necessarily true. As the passage states, formal instruction is often a part of a good musical education, but it might not always be necessary.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because it is not relevant to the argument. The argument is about what parents should do to provide a strong foundation for their children's musical ability, not about whether children can become good musicians without a good musical education.

In conclusion, the correct answer is D because it highlights the flaw in the argument, which is the assumption that formal instruction is always necessary for a good musical education.