LSAT Explanation PT 35, S1, Q24: In every case of political unrest

LSAT Question Stem

The flawed reasoning in the argument above most closely parallels that in which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Parallel Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's summarize and analyze the argument in the passage. The argument states that in every case of political unrest in a certain country, someone organized and fomented that unrest. The conclusion is that there must be a single mastermind behind all the cases of political unrest in that country. The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: In every case of political unrest, someone organized and fomented it.

Conclusion: There is a single mastermind behind all cases of political unrest.

The argument assumes that there can only be one person or group responsible for all the cases of political unrest, without considering the possibility of multiple groups or individuals being involved. An accessible example to illustrate this flawed reasoning would be: In every case of a stolen car in a city, someone stole the car. Therefore, there must be a single car thief responsible for all the stolen cars in the city.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument would be: "Is there any evidence that the same person or group is responsible for organizing and fomenting all cases of political unrest?"

Now, let's discuss the answer choices for the Parallel Flaw question, which asks us to find the answer choice that contains reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the passage.

a) This answer choice is flawed because it assumes that the average of all license numbers must be a whole number and therefore must belong to a specific driver. However, this flaw is not parallel to the one in the passage, as it doesn't involve assuming there can only be one entity responsible for a series of events.

b) This answer choice incorrectly assumes that there must be as many area codes as telephone numbers in North America. While this is clearly flawed, it doesn't parallel the reasoning in the passage, as it doesn't involve assuming there can only be one entity responsible for a series of events.

c) This answer choice is the correct one, as it mirrors the flawed reasoning in the passage. It states that every citizen of Edmonton has a social insurance number, so there must be one number that is the social insurance number for all citizens of Edmonton. This answer choice assumes that there can only be one social insurance number for all citizens, just like the passage assumes that there can only be one mastermind behind all cases of political unrest.

d) This answer choice bases a flawed conclusion on irrelevant evidence (losing a single hair being insignificant) and assumes that no one with a full head of hair at twenty ever becomes bald. However, this flaw is not parallel to the one in the passage, as it doesn't involve assuming there can only be one entity responsible for a series of events.

e) This answer choice states that every moment in Vladimir's life is followed by a later moment, so his life will never end. While this is flawed reasoning, it doesn't parallel the reasoning in the passage, as it doesn't involve assuming there can only be one entity responsible for a series of events.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (c) because it contains reasoning most similar to the flawed reasoning in the passage.