Logical Reasoning

PT126 · S3 · Q25 Dean: The mathematics department

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

Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one
Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step
81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Dean: The mathematics department at our university has said that it should be given sole responsibility for teaching the course Statistics for the Social Sciences.

Conclusion

We shouldn’t give the math department sole responsibility for teaching Stats for Social Sciences.

Evidence

This course has no more math than a high school algebra class. And the fact that it has math in it doesn’t mean it needs a math professor, any more than a course that has some history in it means it needs a history professor.

Evaluation

We might not see any obvious flaw here. If so, we should just think of how we would accept the evidence but argue that this class should be taught solely by the math department. Maybe we would say, in the author’s analogy, he is assuming that a class with history in it doesn’t need a history professor. But why not? We’re free to disagree with that assumption.

Another reaction we might have is,

Goal

Keep a flexible mind. The answer might call out one of the author’s assumptions or make a possible objection that would allow us to argue that it should be a math teacher who teaches this class.

25.

The dean's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it

presumes, without providing justification, that
Unsupported / Too Strong
Was the author assuming that expertise does not enable you to teach something well? No. He was definitely assuming that expertise might not be necessary in order to teach something well. But he wasn’t ever assuming that expertise has little to no value in terms of teaching ability. He could think that a Social Science teacher (with enough expertise in algebra-level math) would be able to teach this well.
8% picked this
Correct
purports to refute a view
Why this is right
This basically describes the Famous Flaw called Absence of Evidence, when we say, “Since you didn’t convince me of X, it must be that X is false.” Our author did shoot down an argument and then conclude that the original position must be false. Can we match up “one possible reason” with the argument? Sure, the argument basically says “What, just because it has math in it, it’s got to be taught by a math instructor?” Who knows if this was even the reason why the math department wanted sole responsibility for this class? Maybe they think they should have sole responsibility because the class uses certain equipment that is typically in the Math building.
Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
68% picked this
presumes, without providing justification, that
Too Strong: “most students” “as knowledgeable”
The author has not committed herself to the idea that over 50% of students know an equal amount of math and history. That is way too specific.
3% picked this
fails to establish that mathematics
Too Strong
Too Strong: “incapable of teaching the class” The author doesn’t need to assume/establish that math professors are incapable of teaching this class. As long as she can establish that non-math professors are capable, she can make the argument that the class doesn’t need to be taught my math professors.
12% picked this
presumes, without providing justification, that
Too Strong
Too Strong: “any policy” “must be justified” The author made a quick analogy between classes with math in them and classes with history in them. She hasn’t committed herself to assuming anything about EVERY SINGLE policy that applies to history courses.
10% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill

LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free