LSAT Explanation PT 31, S2, Q20: One of the most vexing problems
LSAT Question Stem
Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the information above?
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Most Strongly supported question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is B.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
This LSAT problem is a Most Strongly Supported (MSS) question, which means we are looking for an answer choice that is most strongly supported based on the information provided in the passage.
The passage discusses the challenge of dating events in historiography when usual sources offer conflicting chronologies. It suggests a two-step approach for historians to tackle this problem:
1. Minimize the number of competing sources, possibly by eliminating the less credible ones.
2. Independently of the usual sources, try to determine which date is more likely to be right, although this may sometimes be unsuccessful.
Now, let's analyze each answer choice:
Answer choice (A): The passage does not support this claim. It only talks about events with conflicting chronologies, not about "most" events or the success rate of historians in determining the right date.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer. The passage states that historians may sometimes be unsuccessful in determining the right date independently of the usual sources. If both the usual sources and independent analysis fail to confirm a date, then it cannot be reliably determined for that event.
Answer choice (C): This answer choice is incorrect because it overgeneralizes the situation. The passage only discusses events with conflicting chronologies, not all events. It is likely that many events can be reliably dated without having to determine which conflicting chronology is most likely to be true.
Answer choice (D): This answer choice is too strong in claiming that independent determination is ineffective for dating events. The passage does not provide enough information about what an independent determination entails, so we cannot conclude that it is ineffective.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice is incorrect because it misrepresents the passage's suggestions. The passage recommends eliminating the less credible sources, not undermining the credibility of as many sources as possible. Additionally, the passage acknowledges that even after minimizing competing sources, several may still remain, so it's not about eliminating as many as possible.
In conclusion, the correct answer is (B), which states that some events with conflicting chronologies and attempted dating by historians cannot be reliably dated.