LSAT Explanation PT 45, S4, Q8: Ariel: Government art subsidies never benefit

LSAT Question Stem

The dialogue most supports the claim that Ariel and Sasha disagree with each other about whether 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Disagree 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. Ariel and Sasha are discussing government art subsidies and their impact on art. Ariel's conclusion is that government art subsidies never benefit art because art's role is to challenge society's values, and artists cannot challenge the institution (government) they depend on. Sasha, on the other hand, agrees that art should challenge society's values but argues that in a democratic society, government art subsidies can benefit art by allowing artists to be fully committed to their work and express themselves freely.

The question type is a Point at Issue, which means we need to identify the specific point on which Ariel and Sasha disagree.

Now, let's analyze each answer choice:

a) Art's role is to challenge society's values - Both Ariel and Sasha agree on this point, so this answer choice is incorrect.

b) A society's values are expressed by its government - Ariel would agree with this statement, but Sasha's position on this statement is unknown. We cannot infer from her statement that a democratic government encourages challenges to its own values that those values are not the same as society's values. So, this answer choice is incorrect.

c) Artists can express themselves freely in a nondemocratic society - Sasha never commented on nondemocratic societies, just on a democratic one. Thus, her position on this statement is unknown, making this answer choice incorrect.

d) Art subsidies provided by a democratic government benefit art - This is the correct answer choice. Ariel would disagree with this statement because she believes that government subsidies never benefit art. Sasha, on the other hand, would agree with this statement because her argument supports the idea that democratic governments can benefit art through subsidies.

e) Only governments that respect dissent ensure that art subsidies are fairly distributed - Neither Ariel nor Sasha mentioned the issue of fair distribution, so this answer choice can be eliminated. Furthermore, Sasha's argument implies that respect for dissent is a sufficient condition, not a necessary one, for art subsidy distribution. Thus, her stance on this choice is unknown.

In conclusion, Ariel and Sasha disagree on whether art subsidies provided by a democratic government benefit art (answer choice D).