LSAT Explanation PT 43, S2, Q20: Social critic: One of the most

LSAT Question Stem

The social critic's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is D. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is a Flaw question, which asks us to identify a flaw in the argument presented in the passage.

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage, identifying its structure and labeling each part as either a premise or a conclusion. The argument has the following structure:

Premise: A society socializes children by making them feel ashamed of their immoral behavior.

Premise: In many people, this shame results in deep feelings of guilt and self-loathing, which can be a severe hardship.

Conclusion: Thus, moral socialization has had a net effect of increasing the total amount of suffering.

The argument claims that moral socialization, which involves making children feel ashamed of their immoral behavior, has a net negative effect on society because it increases the total amount of suffering. The argument is based on the idea that shame can lead to guilt and self-loathing in many people, which can be a severe hardship.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Does the decrease in immoral behavior due to moral socialization outweigh the increase in suffering caused by guilt and self-loathing?"

Now let's examine each answer choice:

a) The argument does not propose eliminating moral socialization altogether, so it cannot be criticized for not considering modifications to the process. This answer choice is not the correct flaw.

b) The argument already acknowledges that moral socialization can lead to guilt and self-loathing, so suggesting that the two phenomena do not always occur together does not describe the flaw in the argument. This answer choice is not the correct flaw.

c) The argument does not claim that moral socialization should be changed or eliminated, only that it has a net negative effect on society. The argument does not provide justification for changing or eliminating moral socialization, so this answer choice is not the correct flaw.

d) This answer choice correctly identifies the flaw in the argument. The argument assumes that moral socialization only leads to an increase in suffering due to guilt and self-loathing, without considering the possibility that it could also significantly reduce the overall occurrence of suffering by decreasing immoral behavior. This answer choice is the correct flaw.

e) The argument does not presume that everyone will have a negative reaction to moral socialization, only that many people do, and that this results in an increase in the total amount of suffering. This answer choice does not accurately describe the flaw in the argument.

Therefore, the correct answer choice is (d), as it identifies the flaw in the argument by pointing out that the argument fails to consider the potential reduction in suffering due to a decrease in immoral behavior.