LSAT Explanation PT 39, S2, Q11: A gift is not generous unless

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following judgments most closely conforms to the principle above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Principle (Misc) question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

This LSAT problem is a Must Be True (MBT) question that asks us to determine which judgment most closely conforms to the principle presented in the passage. The passage contains two conditional statements that we need to analyze and understand before we can evaluate the answer choices.

1. "A gift is not generous unless it is intended to benefit the recipient and is worth more than what is expected or customary in the situation."

Using the Unless Equation, we can represent this statement as:

G -> (BR and WM)

Where:

G = a gift is generous

BR = the gift is intended to benefit the recipient

WM = the gift is worth more than what is expected or customary in the situation

2. "A gift is selfish if it is given to benefit the giver or is less valuable than is customary."

This statement can be represented as:

(BG or LV) -> S

Where:

S = a gift is selfish

BG = the gift is given to benefit the giver

LV = the gift is less valuable than is customary

Now let's analyze each answer choice based on these conditional statements:

a) Charles's gift was selfish because he paid nothing for the tickets.

This answer choice is incorrect because neither sufficient condition for selfishness is met. Charles's gift was not given to benefit himself, and it is unknown whether the gift was less valuable than customary.

b) Emily's gift is selfish because her brother is hurt and offended by it.

This answer choice is incorrect because the consequences of the gift (Emily's brother being hurt and offended) do not play a role in determining whether the gift was selfish. The gift was given to help keep Emily's brother healthy, so it was not given to benefit Emily. Furthermore, there is no information about the gift's value compared to what is customary.

c) Amanda's gifts are generous since they cause the clients to continue giving Amanda business.

This answer choice is incorrect because it concludes that Amanda is generous based on her actions. The principle does not allow us to conclude that someone is generous.

d) Olga's gift is not generous because it is the gift that all children in Olga's family receive for graduation.

This answer choice is correct because it meets the necessary conditions for not being generous. The gift is intended to benefit the recipient, but it is not worth more than what is customary in the situation. Therefore, Olga's gift is not generous.

e) Michael's gift was not generous because it did not benefit the recipient.

This answer choice is incorrect because both necessary conditions for a generous gift are met. Michael intended to benefit his nephew, and the gift was worth more than what was customary. The fact that the nephew lost the money does not change Michael's intentions or the gift's value compared to what is customary.

The correct answer is (d), as Olga's gift is not generous because it is not worth more than what is customary in the situation.