LSAT Explanation PT 27, S1, Q15: Tony: Few anarchists have ever performed

LSAT Question Stem

Keisha responds to Tony's argument in which one of the following ways? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Method of Reasoning question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In this passage, Tony presents an argument that the special association between anarchism and political violence is unwarranted, while Keisha responds to Tony's argument by pointing out that the proportion of anarchists who are violent may be greater than the proportion of adherents of other ideologies who are violent. To understand the structure of the argument, let's break it down:

Tony:

1) Few anarchists have ever performed violent actions (premise).

2) These few are vastly outnumbered by the violent adherents of other political ideologies (premise).

Conclusion: The special association in the public mind between anarchism and political violence is unwarranted.

Keisha:

1) Anarchists have always been few in number (premise).

2) Other ideologies have often spawned mass movements (premise).

Conclusion: The proportion of anarchists who are violent is possibly greater than the proportion of adherents of other ideologies who are violent.

The question type is Method of Reasoning (MOR), asking us to identify how Keisha responds to Tony's argument.

a) CORRECT. Keisha shows that Tony's conclusion is questionable because Tony bases it on a comparison that inappropriately involves absolute numbers rather than proportions. Tony uses absolute numbers to argue that there are fewer violent anarchists than violent adherents of other ideologies. However, Keisha points out that considering proportions might lead to a different conclusion.

b) Keisha does introduce new evidence, but it is not incompatible with Tony's evidence. Her evidence does not contradict Tony's evidence but rather puts it into perspective by considering proportions instead of absolute numbers.

c) Keisha does not question the accuracy of Tony's claims. Instead, she introduces additional information that should be considered when evaluating the conclusion.

d) Keisha does not present evidence that the two groups Tony has compared have no significant qualities in common. Instead, she focuses on the proportion of violent anarchists and adherents of other ideologies.

e) Keisha does not indicate that Tony has adopted questionable criteria for including certain people in the groups he is comparing. She simply suggests that the proportion of violent anarchists may be greater than the proportion of violent adherents of other ideologies.

By understanding the structure of the argument and the difference between absolute numbers and proportions, we can see that answer choice A is the correct response to the question.