LSAT Explanation PT 33, S3, Q17: In a business whose owners and

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The argument in the passage claims that a family business is a family's surest road to financial prosperity. It is structured as follows:

Premise 1: In a family business, employees can be paid exceptionally low wages.

Premise 2: Low wages lead to lower general operating expenses.

Premise 3: Lower general operating expenses lead to higher profits.

Conclusion: Therefore, a family business is a family's surest road to financial prosperity.

This argument assumes that higher profits necessarily translate to financial prosperity for the family. However, it overlooks the possibility that paying low wages to family members might negatively affect the family's overall prosperity.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Do higher profits in a family business always lead to increased financial prosperity for the family?"

Now, let's analyze the answer choices. The question type is a Flaw question, which asks us to identify the flaw in the reasoning of the argument.

a) This answer choice is irrelevant because customer satisfaction is not discussed in the argument. The argument's validity does not depend on this fact.

b) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not require businesses that pay the lowest wages to have the lowest general operating expenses and the highest profits. The argument only needs to show that family businesses have lower wages, lower expenses, and higher profits than non-family businesses.

c) This is the correct answer. The argument ignores the fact that paying low wages to family members might reduce the family's prosperity. If low wages reduce the family's prosperity, then the conclusion that a family business is the surest road to financial prosperity is weakened.

d) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not need to assume the motivation behind family members working for low wages. The argument only needs to establish that they are willing to work for low wages.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because the argument does not need to assume that only businesses with low general operating expenses can succeed. The argument only claims that family businesses have lower expenses and higher profits than other businesses.

In conclusion, the correct answer is C, as it points out the flaw in the argument that ignores the potential negative impact of low wages on the family's prosperity.