LSAT Explanation PT 36, S1, Q21: Kostman's original painting of Rosati was

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following is most similar in its flawed reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the argument above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Parallel Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In the given passage, the argument states that Kostman's original painting of Rosati was not a very accurate portrait, and from this, it concludes that a reproduction of Kostman's painting of Rosati will not be a very accurate reproduction of the painting. This is flawed reasoning because the accuracy of the original painting (the subject) does not necessarily affect the accuracy of the reproduction (the copy). The proper conclusion should have been that the reproduction of Kostman's painting will not be a very accurate portrait of Rosati.

To better understand this, let's use a simple example. Imagine there's a photograph of a tree that is blurry and not a very accurate depiction of the tree. If someone were to make a copy of that photograph, it could still be an accurate reproduction of the original blurry photograph, even though the photograph itself was not an accurate depiction of the tree.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Does the inaccuracy of the original painting necessarily affect the accuracy of the reproduction?"

Now, let's analyze the answer choices based on the given question type, which is a parallel flaw (PF) question. We need to find an answer choice that has a similar flawed reasoning as the one in the passage.

(a) George's speech was filled with half-truths and misquotes. So the tape recording made of it cannot be of good sound quality.

This answer choice is correct because it exhibits the same flawed reasoning as the passage. Just because the content of George's speech is flawed (half-truths and misquotes) does not mean that the sound quality of the tape recording (the copy) will be poor. The accuracy of the thing being copied (the speech) has no bearing on the quality of the copy itself (the sound quality).

(b) An artist who paints a picture of an ugly scene must necessarily paint an ugly picture unless the picture is a distorted representation of the scene.

This answer choice is incorrect because it does not involve a reproduction or copy of an original, like the passage does. Instead, it only discusses the relationship between an ugly scene and the resulting painting.

(c) If a child's eyes resemble her mother's, then if the mother's eyes are brown the child's eyes also must be brown.

This answer choice is incorrect because it does not involve a flawed reasoning about reproductions or copies. Instead, it presents a conditional relationship between a child's eye color and her mother's eye color.

(d) Jo imitated Layne. But Jo is different from Layne, so Jo could not have imitated Layne very well.

This answer choice is incorrect because the reasoning in the passage is about the accuracy of reproductions, not about the differences between two individuals. This choice does not parallel the flawed reasoning found in the passage.

(e) Harold's second novel is similar to his first. Therefore, his second novel must be enthralling because his first novel won a prestigious literary prize.

This answer choice is incorrect because it does not discuss reproductions or copies. Instead, it compares two similar but distinct novels and makes a conclusion based on their similarity.

In conclusion, answer choice (a) is the correct answer because it exhibits the same flawed reasoning as the passage, assuming that the accuracy of the original affects the accuracy of the reproduction.