LSAT Explanation PT 39, S4, Q20: Some people believe that good health
LSAT Question Stem
The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Flaw question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is D.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
First, let's break down the argument in the passage:
Premise: Some people believe that good health is due to luck.
Premise: Studies from many countries indicate a strong correlation between good health and high educational levels.
Conclusion: Good health is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices.
The argument's structure is based on the correlation between good health and high educational levels, which leads to the conclusion that good health is mainly due to informed lifestyle choices. The question type for this problem is Flaw, and it's asking us to identify a vulnerability in the reasoning of the argument.
An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Is there any other factor that could contribute to both good health and high educational levels?"
Now let's discuss the answer choices:
Answer choice (A): The argument does suggest that high educational levels lead to informed choices, but it doesn't explicitly state that only highly educated people make informed lifestyle choices. The wording is too strong, making this answer incorrect.
Answer choice (B): The argument focuses on the correlation between good health and education, not poor health. Overlooking the possibility mentioned in this answer choice is not an error in the argument.
Answer choice (C): The argument doesn't presume that informed lifestyle choices are available to everyone. It just states that making good choices generally results in good health.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer. The argument assumes that the correlation between good health and high educational levels supports a causal conclusion, but it's possible that a third factor (e.g., socioeconomic status) could contribute to both good health and high educational levels. This answer choice highlights the flaw in the argument by pointing out the possibility of a third element causing both conditions.
Answer choice (E): The conclusion of the argument is not absolute, as it states that good health is largely the result of informed lifestyle choices. This statement allows for other factors to contribute to good health, even if someone doesn't make informed lifestyle choices. Thus, this answer choice is not a valid criticism of the argument.