LSAT Explanation PT 36, S3, Q25: Anthropologist: All music is based on

LSAT Question Stem

The anthropologist's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it fails to 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The anthropologist argues that the popularity of a musical scale is not a result of social conditioning because if it were, we would expect a diverse mixture of diatonic and nondiatonic scales in the world's music. However, diatonic scales have always dominated the music of most of the world. The anthropologist concludes that the popularity of diatonic music can be attributed only to innate dispositions of the human mind. The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: If the popularity of a musical scale were a result of social conditioning, we would expect a diverse mixture of diatonic and nondiatonic scales in the world's music.

Premise: Diverse mixture of diatonic and nondiatonic scales is not observed.

Conclusion: The popularity of diatonic music can be attributed only to innate dispositions of the human mind.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Are there any other factors, besides social conditioning and innate dispositions, that could affect the popularity of a type of music?"

Now let's discuss the question type and answer choices. This is a Flaw question, asking us to identify the flaw in the anthropologist's argument.

a) This answer choice is incorrect because the anthropologist's argument allows for the existence of nondiatonic music and the possibility that some people may prefer it. The argument's focus is on the dominance of diatonic music, not the complete absence of nondiatonic music.

b) This answer choice is irrelevant because the argument does not claim that innate dispositions increase appreciation of nondiatonic music. The argument is about the popularity of diatonic music, not nondiatonic music.

c) This answer choice is also irrelevant because the argument does not need to explain the existence of either diatonic or nondiatonic scales. The focus is on the popularity of diatonic music, not the existence of different scales.

d) This is the correct answer. The anthropologist's argument is flawed because it fails to consider the possibility that innate dispositions and social conditioning could jointly affect the popularity of a type of music. By concluding that the popularity of diatonic music can be attributed only to innate dispositions, the argument overlooks other potential factors or combinations of factors that could contribute to the observed dominance of diatonic music.

e) This answer choice is out of scope because the argument is about the human mind and its preferences, not the preferences of nonhuman species of animals. The argument does not need to consider nonhuman animals to make its point.

In summary, the anthropologist's argument is flawed because it fails to consider the possibility that both innate dispositions and social conditioning could jointly affect the popularity of a type of music (answer choice D).