LSAT Explanation PT 41, S3, Q14: The authorship of the Iliad and

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the principle underlying the argumentation above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Sufficient Assumption question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In the passage, the author discusses the debate surrounding the authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The argument presented is that since there is no overwhelming evidence for or against the claim that Homer is the principal author of both works, we should accept the verdict of tradition. To better understand this, let's break down the argument's structure:

1. Premise: There is no overwhelming evidence for or against Homer's authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

2. Conclusion: We should accept the verdict of tradition that Homer is the principal author of both works.

The question type for this problem is a Principle question, which asks us to identify the principle underlying the argumentation in the passage.

To help illustrate the argument, let's use a simple example. Imagine there's a debate about whether your favorite childhood ice cream shop was founded by Mr. Smith or someone else. If there's no strong evidence to prove or disprove Mr. Smith's role in founding the shop, the argument suggests we should accept the traditional belief that Mr. Smith is the founder.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Is there a reason to prioritize tradition when evidence is inconclusive?"

Now let's discuss the answer choices:

a) This answer choice suggests that we should suspend judgment in the absence of overwhelming evidence, which is not what the author argues. The author argues for accepting the traditional belief, not suspending judgment.

b) This is the correct answer choice. It accurately captures the principle that we should not accept a hypothesis that goes against tradition unless there is overwhelming evidence. In the absence of such evidence, we should defer to tradition.

c) This answer choice is too broad, as it suggests that we should believe any hypothesis when there is no overwhelming evidence for or against it. The author's argument specifically focuses on accepting the traditional belief, not any hypothesis.

d) This answer choice is incorrect because it introduces the idea of needing nontraditional evidence for the traditional hypothesis. The author's argument does not mention any requirement for nontraditional evidence.

e) This answer choice is incorrect because it suggests that we should defer to tradition only if two or more hypotheses conflict with it. The author's argument focuses on the absence of strong evidence, not the presence of conflicting hypotheses.