Montgomery, a biologist who is also well read

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsFlaw

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Stimulus

Montgomery, a biologist who is also well read in archaeology, has recently written a book on the origin and purpose of ancient monumental architecture. This book has received much positive attention in the popular press but has been severely criticized by many professional archaeologists for being too extreme. Montgomery’s views do not no more extreme than the views of some professional archaeologists.

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question

The argument is most vulnerable to which one of the

Answer choices

Correct80% picked this
It fails to establish that professional archaeologists’ views that are at least as extreme as Montgomery’s views do not deserve
Why this is right
Answer A is correct.
Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
80%
Trap3% picked this
It assumes without warrant that many professional archaeologists consider biologists unqualified to
3%
Trap3% picked this
It overlooks the possibility that many professional archaeologists are unfamiliar with
3%
Trap4% picked this
It provides no independent evidence to show that the majority of professional archaeologists do not
4%
Trap10% picked this
It attempts to support its position by calling into question the motives of anyone who
10%

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