LSAT Explanation PT 32, S4, Q4: Psychiatrist: Take any visceral emotion you

LSAT Question Stem

The conclusion of the argument follows logically if which one of the following is assumed? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Sufficient Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the structure of the argument in the passage. Here's the breakdown:

Premise: There are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express any visceral emotion.

Conclusion: There are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express one's anger.

The question type is a Sufficient Assumption question, which means we are looking for an answer choice that, when combined with the premise, guarantees the conclusion is true.

Before we dive into the answer choices, let's come up with an "Evaluate" question for this argument: "Is anger a visceral emotion?" This question is crucial because the answer will determine if the argument is valid or not.

Now, let's go through the answer choices:

a) Anger is always expressible.

This choice doesn't guarantee that expressing anger is always healthy. It merely suggests that anger can always be expressed. We need to connect anger to being a visceral emotion to make the argument valid.

b) Anger is a visceral emotion.

This choice directly answers our "Evaluate" question and connects anger to being a visceral emotion. If we assume this statement is true, then the premise guarantees that there are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express one's anger. This is the correct answer.

c) Some kinds of emotions are unhealthy to express.

This choice doesn't help us determine whether anger is a visceral emotion or not, so it doesn't guarantee the conclusion.

d) All emotions that are healthy to express are visceral.

This choice reverses the relationship in the premise. It doesn't tell us that anger is a visceral emotion, so it doesn't guarantee the conclusion.

e) An emotion is visceral only if it is healthy to express.

Similar to choice (d), this choice reverses the relationship in the premise and doesn't tell us whether anger is a visceral emotion. It doesn't guarantee the conclusion.

In conclusion, the correct answer is (b) Anger is a visceral emotion. This assumption, when combined with the premise, guarantees the conclusion that there are always situations in which it is healthy to try to express one's anger.