Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT130 S1 Q12 Explanation

City councilperson: Many city residents

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

TopicsSufficient Assumption

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Stimulus

City councilperson: Many city residents oppose the city art commission's proposed purchase of an unusual stone edifice, on the grounds that art critics are divided over whether the edifice really qualifies as art. But I argue that the purpose of art is to cause experts to debate ideas, including ideas about what to debate what constitutes art itself, it does qualify as art.

What this question is testing

Sufficient Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption that, if added, guarantees the conclusion follows.

Common trap

Answers that only partly bridge the gap, leaving the conclusion unproven.

Winning move

Identify the new term in the conclusion and pick the choice that links it to the evidence.

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

The question
12.

Which one of the following, if assumed, enables the conclusion of the city councilperson's argument to

Answer choices

  1. Reversal11% picked this

    Nothing qualifies as art unless it causes debate

    This reverses a relationship QA → CED that would support the argument’s conclusion.

  2. Weaken2% picked this

    If an object causes debate among experts, no expert can be certain whether that object

    This weakens the argument by making it less likely that the edifice qualifies as art.

  3. Out of Scope7% picked this

    The purchase of an object that fulfills the purpose of art should

    The city councilperson does not argue that the purchase should not be opposed, but rather makes the case that the edifice should qualify as art.

  4. Correct76% picked this

    Any object that fulfills the purpose of art qualifies

    Why this is right

    This bridges the gap between FPA → QA fulfilling the purpose of art and qualifying as art.

    Skill tested: Sufficient Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  5. Out of Scope4% picked this

    The city art commission should purchase the edifice if it qualifies

    The city councilperson does not argue that the city should purchase the edifice, but rather makes the case that the edifice should qualify as art.

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