LSAT Explanation PT 32, S1, Q4: Maria: Thomas Edison was one of

LSAT Question Stem

Frank's reasoning in his response to Maria is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's begin by analyzing the argument in the passage. Maria states that Thomas Edison, a highly productive inventor with significant contributions to modern technology, had only a few months of formal schooling. From this, she concludes that formal education is not necessary to make crucial contributions to technological advancement. Frank, on the other hand, disagrees and argues that since Edison's time, there have been many new developments in technology, and to make crucial contributions today, one needs much more extensive technical knowledge than was needed back then.

The question type is a Flaw question, which asks us to identify the vulnerability in Frank's reasoning. In other words, we need to find the missing crucial information that determines whether his argument is valid or not. An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be, "Is formal education the only way to acquire extensive technical knowledge?"

Now let's discuss each answer choice:

a) This is the correct answer. Frank's reasoning is vulnerable to criticism because he fails to address the possibility that technical knowledge may be acquired without formal education. He assumes that extensive technical knowledge can only be gained through formal education, which is not necessarily true.

b) This answer choice is incorrect because it is not relevant to the flaw in Frank's argument. Whether there have been improvements in formal education since Edison's day does not affect the validity of Frank's reasoning.

c) This answer choice is incorrect because there is no evidence to suggest that Frank uses the term "crucial" differently from Maria. They both seem to use the term to describe significant contributions to technological advancement.

d) This answer choice is incorrect and out of scope. Frank's argument does not rely on the assumption that no other inventor of Edison's time could have been as productive as Edison. His argument focuses on the need for extensive technical knowledge in today's world.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because, as you pointed out in the forum discussion, Frank does not need to criticize or question Maria's statements about Edison to weaken her argument. His main flaw is the assumption that technical knowledge requires formal education, which is not addressed by this answer choice.

In summary, the correct answer is A, as it identifies the flaw in Frank's reasoning by pointing out that he fails to consider the possibility of acquiring technical knowledge without formal education.