#14 - Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Strengthen-CE. The correct answer choice is (A)

Kim claims that a dramatic increase in life expectancy in northern Europe during the eighteenth century caused a change of attitude. Lee argues that this is unlikely since people of the time were not aware that their life expectancy had increased.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. Lee argues that it is unlikely that an increase in life expectancy caused the change of attitude since people were not aware that their life expectancy had increased. This answer choice suggests that attitudes could change without people being aware of increases in life expectancy, since the increases could give rise to economic changes, which would in turn influence attitudes.

Answer choice (B): This answer does not offer a defense of Kim’s explanation since Lee’s criticism is precisely that people of the time did not have information about their life expectancy.

Answer choice (C): This answer does not respond to Lee’s criticism about people being unaware of increases in their life expectancy.

Answer choice (D): This answer strengthens Lee’s criticism that people could not have been aware of increases in their life expectancy.

Answer choice (E): What happened before the eighteenth century does not affect Lee’s criticism that people of the eighteenth century were not aware of increases in their life expectancy.

[lathlee]

For this Lesson 11-91 Q55 as well,

Even though I also find A) as the correct answer to this question, Anyways, this was the problem that occurred in my brain as I was going over:

Isn't introducing alternative reason, which is answer choice A) is doing, "rise to economic changes that . directly influencing," almost always if not all, weakening scenario of Reasoning that involves CE ?

[ksikanon]

Hi there,

A quick question - if (E) said "in the early 18th century" instead of "before the 18th century," would that make it a reasonable defense of Kim's position?

[James Finch]

Hi Ksikanon

If we were to change the wording of (E) to what you suggest, then it would potentially serve to weaken, not strengthen the causal argument Kim makes. This is because Kim is trying to make an increase in lifespan the sole cause of changing attitudes, and introducing religion as a possible alternate cause, even if only during part of the timeframe, would only weaken the link between lifespan increases and attitudes about life and death.

[ksikanon]

Thanks - I forgot that when a causal argument is presented, the LSAT believes that the cause is the sole cause of the effect. Appreciate it!

[gingerale]

Is (B) incorrect because what present-day psychologists have observed may not apply to 18th century Europe?

[Robert Carroll]

ginger,

I don't think that's a problem, because what scientists have discovered today could certainly always have applied in the past. Instead, the problem with answer choice (B) is its not defending against Lee's criticism. Lee is already pointing out that people might not have been aware of the change in life expectancy. Changes in attitude that can result from information about changes in life expectancy are just as vulnerable to Lee's criticism: "What about if people don't know their life expectancies changed, so they have no information about it?"

Robert Carroll