LSAT Explanation PT 34, S2, Q21: Professor Chan: The literature department's undergraduate

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore's argument depends? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Necessary Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. Professor Wigmore's argument can be summarized as follows:

Premise 1: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works.

Premise 2: Advertisements have a detrimental effect on society because people cannot discern their real messages.

Premise 3: The literature department's courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts.

Conclusion: It is the literature department's responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.

Now, let's come up with an "Evaluate" question for this argument: "Is the literature department's responsibility limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works?"

The question type for this problem is Necessary Assumption, which means we need to identify an assumption that the argument depends on.

Let's go through the answer choices:

a) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society.

This answer choice is not necessary for the argument because even if true literary works sometimes have a detrimental effect on society, it doesn't affect the conclusion that the literature department should include the study of advertisements.

b) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisements.

This is not a necessary assumption because the argument doesn't claim that the literature department cannot teach both. The argument is about including the study of advertisements, not excluding true literary works.

c) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.

This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument because the focus is on the critical skills to analyze and understand texts, not on other skills students may or may not gain from the courses.

d) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society.

This answer choice is not necessary because the argument is about advertisements in general, not specifically about forms of advertising that use visual images. The argument would still hold even if some forms of advertising do not have a detrimental effect on society.

e) The literature department's responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.

This is the correct answer because it directly addresses the "Evaluate" question we came up with earlier. If the literature department's responsibility were limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works, then the conclusion that it should include the study of advertisements would not be valid. By stating that the responsibility is not limited to true literary works, it opens the possibility for the literature department to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.

In conclusion, the correct answer is E. It is a necessary assumption because it addresses a crucial aspect of the argument and ensures that the conclusion is valid.