- Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:36 pm
#77471
Hi jmb,
It's very important in this Weaken question to properly identify the main conclusion, which is the first sentence: "Political utility determines the popularity of a metaphor." This is a cause and effect claim (utility causes popularity).
The author goes on to support that conclusion by claiming that the "human body" (as society) metaphor is pervasive (popular) in authoritarian societies, connecting this pervasiveness (popularity) to the political utility the metaphor has (it "promotes greater acceptance of authoritarian repression"). The author also makes an explicit comparison that suggests a different metaphor for society (society as family) has less political utility. If we're to believe the cause and effect relationship the author is arguing (utility causes popularity), then a metaphor with less political utility (like the family metaphor) ought not to be as popular (as pervasive).
Answer choice A thus weakens the author's argument, because it shows that a metaphor with less utility (the family metaphor) is just as pervasive as the body metaphor. This suggests that there's some cause of the popularity/pervasiveness of these metaphors other than just political utility.
I hope this helps!
Jeremy
Jeremy Press
LSAT Instructor and law school admissions consultant
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