LSAT Explanation PT 43, S2, Q19: Marc: The fact that the people
LSAT Question Stem
Their dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Marc and Robert agree that the people of their country
Logical Reasoning Question Type
This is a Disagree question.
Correct Answer
The correct answer to this question is D.
LSAT Question Complete Explanation
In this LSAT problem, we are presented with a dialogue between Marc and Robert discussing the nostalgia of the people in their country. The question type is a Point of Agreement question, which means we need to find a statement that both Marc and Robert agree upon. Let's first analyze their arguments.
Marc's argument:
Premise: The people of their country look back on the past with nostalgia.
Conclusion: They regret the recent revolution.
Robert's argument:
Premise: The people are nostalgic for the distant past, not the recent past.
Conclusion: They are troubled but do not regret the revolution.
Now, let's examine the answer choices and see which one both Marc and Robert would agree upon.
a) Neither Marc nor Robert suggests that the people underrate past problems during troubling times. They only discuss the cause of the nostalgia, not the people's perception of past problems.
b) Being nostalgic doesn't necessarily mean looking for solutions in the past; it could just be a way to find comfort. Marc and Robert are discussing the cause of the nostalgia, not the purpose of it. We cannot infer that they would both agree with this statement.
c) This answer choice suggests a possible negative consequence of being nostalgic to find solutions for current problems. However, neither Marc nor Robert indicates that the people are likely to repeat former mistakes. The stimulus provides even less support for this answer choice than for the previous one.
d) Marc says that the people “regret the revolution” and Robert says “they are troubled.” Both phrases indicate the people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation, and this dissatisfaction is manifested in their nostalgia. This is the correct answer choice, as both Marc and Robert agree on this point.
e) Marc believes that the nostalgia of his country’s people is for the period before the recent revolution, and Robert believes that this feeling is directed at the more distant past. Neither of these beliefs implies a correlation between the amount of nostalgia and the amount of time past. There is no mention of the degree of nostalgia in the stimulus, so this answer choice cannot be correct.
In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (d), as both Marc and Robert agree that the people of their country are concerned about the current situation, and this concern is evidenced by their nostalgia.