#6 - Global Reference, Weaken

[Administrator]

Question Line Reference
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=11388)

The correct answer choice is (B)

The justification for the correct answer can be found on:

(lines 52-54)

Since the author believes that Davis’ lack of critical acclaim was due to numerous shifts in style and misunderstanding critics, this argument would certainly be weakened if there were many other artists who were just as eclectic and received critical acclaim regardless.

[lsatstudent2]

Hi, what is wrong with A?

[Jeff Wren]

Hi lsatstudent2,

This question is asking for an answer that would weaken (or "undermine") the author's explanation for the way Miles Davis is regarded by jazz critics.

The first step in answering this question is identifying what is the author's explanation for the way Miles Davis is regarded by jazz critics.

According to the passage, the critics didn't like/understand Miles Davis because of his many musical stylistic innovations/changes throughout his career. This explanation appears several times in the passage, mainly lines 3-8 and 45-58.

This is a causal explanation. According to the author, Davis's constant innovations/stylistic changes is the cause, and the critics' dislike of him is the effect.

In order to weaken the author's explanation, the correct answer has to weaken this causal explanation, most likely in one of the usual ways to weaken a causal argument that appear in logical reasoning such as providing an alternate cause, showing examples of the cause occurring without the effect, etc..

Answer B shows the stated cause (radical stylistic changes) occurring without the stated effect (critics' dislike), which is why this answer is correct.

The problem with Answer A is that the author never claimed that improvisational jazz was the reason that critics disliked Miles Davis. In fact, if anything, it was the fact that Davis didn't just do "improvisational playing" (which would be what the critics were probably expecting and would have preferred), but instead edited those improvisational recordings like a movie director that the critics didn't like (lines 38-48).

[Noelfranco]

Hello,

I'm a bit curious why (C) is not a correct answer. I understand that the author says the critics dislike Davis' stylistic changes but, as seen at the end of the first paragraph, critics did not like his "abandonment [ . . . ] of cool acoustic jazz."

Thank you!

[Amber Thomas]

Hi Noelfranco!

Let's look at a few lines throughout the text:

Lines 3-8: "The impatience and artistic restlessness that characterized his work spawned one stylistic turn after another and made Davis anathema to many critics, who deplored his abandonment first of bebop and then of "cool" acoustic jazz for ever more innovative sounds."

What is this saying? Critics disliked the fact that Davis continually abandoned his old styles for newer, more innovative styles many times throughout his career.

Lines 49-51: "What probably underlies the intensity of the reactions against Davis is fear of the broadening of possibilities that he exemplified."

Davis, through his musical exploration and evolution, was broadening the horizons of what was possible to do with jazz--this is exemplified by his use of electric pianos, using a method of recording that was pioneered by rock music, etc..

Lines 55-58: "...Because [Davis] refused to dwell in whatever niche he had previously carved out, critics find it difficult to definitively rank Davis in the aesthetic hierarchy to which they cling."

Since Davis' style was constantly changing and evolving, critics were unable to easily compare him against common standards.

All of these pieces of evidence point to the idea that critics didn't like Davis because he constantly evolved and changed his musical style. This leads us to Answer Choice B, which states: "Many jazz musicians whose careers have been characterized by several radical changes in style are greatly admired by jazz critics."

This would weaken the author's argument, because it would give evidence against the idea that critics didn't like Davis because of his constantly evolving and changing musical style.

Answer Choice C states: "several jazz musicians who perform exclusively on electronic instruments are very highly regarded by jazz critics." This is too narrow in scope. While it is mentioned that Davis used electronic instruments, that's not the main focus of our author's argument, nor is it what our author argues is the main reason that critics don't like Davis.

I hope this helps!

[Noelfranco]

Hi Noelfranco!

Let's look at a few lines throughout the text:

Lines 3-8: "The impatience and artistic restlessness that characterized his work spawned one stylistic turn after another and made Davis anathema to many critics, who deplored his abandonment first of bebop and then of "cool" acoustic jazz for ever more innovative sounds."

What is this saying? Critics disliked the fact that Davis continually abandoned his old styles for newer, more innovative styles many times throughout his career.

Lines 49-51: "What probably underlies the intensity of the reactions against Davis is fear of the broadening of possibilities that he exemplified."

Davis, through his musical exploration and evolution, was broadening the horizons of what was possible to do with jazz--this is exemplified by his use of electric pianos, using a method of recording that was pioneered by rock music, etc..

Lines 55-58: "...Because [Davis] refused to dwell in whatever niche he had previously carved out, critics find it difficult to definitively rank Davis in the aesthetic hierarchy to which they cling."

Since Davis' style was constantly changing and evolving, critics were unable to easily compare him against common standards.

All of these pieces of evidence point to the idea that critics didn't like Davis because he constantly evolved and changed his musical style. This leads us to Answer Choice B, which states: "Many jazz musicians whose careers have been characterized by several radical changes in style are greatly admired by jazz critics."

This would weaken the author's argument, because it would give evidence against the idea that critics didn't like Davis because of his constantly evolving and changing musical style.

Answer Choice C states: "several jazz musicians who perform exclusively on electronic instruments are very highly regarded by jazz critics." This is too narrow in scope. While it is mentioned that Davis used electronic instruments, that's not the main focus of our author's argument, nor is it what our author argues is the main reason that critics don't like Davis.

I hope this helps!

Hi Amber,

Thank you! I realize I should step back more when considering the "main point'" or "explanation" these questions seek to weaken.