#18 - Global Reference, Must Be True, Method

[Dancingbambarina]

Hi nrpandolfo,

Be careful of the "half-right, half-wrong" answer choices. While passage A could be said to apply general principles to specific examples, as you note, passage B also does this, beginning by applying the principle of transparency to stock market transactions (including insider trading). As the question stem is explicitly seeking out a method present in passage A but not passage B, answer choice (A) is only half-right; both passages contain principles applied to specific examples.

Answer choice (B), on the other hand, correctly identifies the analogies between permitted and prohibited activities as
present in passage A but not passage B, making it the correct answer choice.

Hope this helps!

I am struggling to see the meaning here with AC A. It's really tricky in that how can you apply a principle to an example? Do they mean the author has used an example that falls within the principle to illustrate the principle in it's end state?

Thank you

[Dana D]

Hey Dancing,

Applying a general principle to a particular example means to take an underlying idea and apply it in a specific situation.

For example, if the general principle of my argument is that people should try and limit their carbon footprint, I could use that in specific examples like saying people should all take public transportation or use electric vehicles. Why should they do this? Because of my general principle that we should all limit our carbon footprint.

Hope that helps!

[Dancingbambarina]

Hey Dancing,

Applying a general principle to a particular example means to take an underlying idea and apply it in a specific situation.

For example, if the general principle of my argument is that people should try and limit their carbon footprint, I could use that in specific examples like saying people should all take public transportation or use electric vehicles. Why should they do this? Because of my general principle that we should all limit our carbon footprint.

Hope that helps!

Thank you again Dana.

Is this ever reversed on the LSAT? Meaning going from examples to a general principle? Surely that's just a conclusion, ergo one way only?

Thank you

[Dana D]

Hey Dancing,

Yes - these types of questions are the "principle" questions, where the LSAT presents an argument or example and then asks something along the lines of "Which of the following principles, if true, would justify the author's argument?". There's a bunch of different types of principle questions, but basically the test wants you to be able to identify what general principle is related to the stimulus. I'm sure there are other instances where this comes up on the test as well, but principle questions are the first that come to mind.

Best,
Dana