Logical Reasoning

PT144 · S2 · Q23 Well-intentioned people sometimes

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

Start practicing free

Well-intentioned people sometimes attempt to resolve the marital problems of their friends.

Conclusion (Thus)

Even well-intentioned attempts to resolve the marital problems of friends are usually unjustified.

Evidence

Well-intentioned attempts are usually ineffectual, thereby fostering resentment among all parties.

Evaluate

The judging term we're trying to prove in the Conclusion about well-intentioned attempts is "unjustified", which can be expressed in synonymous language like "bad / should not do / not right".

The ammunition we have from the Evidence about well-intentioned attempts is that they're "usually ineffectual and thereby foster resentment among all involved.

Goal

So, if we're anticipating the typical "IF premise, THEN conclusion" linking answer that's so common on Principle questions, we'd want something like

ineffectual → unjustified

or

fosters resentment among all parties → unjustified

The answer should basically attach something we were told is true of "well-intentioned attempts to resolve others' marital problems" to language that sounds like "unjustified".

23.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports the reasoning above?

  1. One should get involved in

    Weak Conclusion Match Bad Evidence Match

    If we contrapose this answer, it will say you don't have intention shouldn't get of producing best overall ? involved in other consequences people's problems The right side is a decent match. If you shouldn't get involved in people's problems, then getting involved in people's marital problems shouldn't be done (thus it's usually unjustified). But the evidence is not even close. Well-intentioned attempts are having the intention of producing the best overall consequences. Since this rule's trigger doesn't apply to well-intentioned attempts, it's not useful to us.

    1% picked this

  2. Interpersonal relations should be conducted

    Bad Evidence / Conclusion Match

    There's really nothing here matching the Evidence (usually ineffectual / foster resentment). It's just talking about doing "whatever is right", as though we have any idea what that means in regards to trying to help friends with their marital problems.

    0% picked this

  3. Good intentions are the only

    Weak Conclusion Match Bad Evidence Match

    If we contrapose this answer, it will say you don't have not a legitimate grounds good intentions ? for attempting to resolve friends' marital problems The right side is a decent match. If you don't have legitimate grounds for attempting to resolve, then attempting to resolve sounds pretty unjustified. But the evidence is the opposite. Well-intentioned attempts do have good intentions as the grounds on which to attempt a resolution. Since this rule's trigger doesn't apply to well-intentioned attempts, it's not useful to us.

    1% picked this

  4. The intentions of an action

    Bad Evidence Match Too Weak

    Even though this is finally talking about whether or not an action is justified, it has no power to rule that something is unjustified. It only has the power to rule on whether X is or isn't relevant to the discussion of whether an action is justified. The author does seem to think that intentions are not enough. Even well-intentioned stuff is still usually a bad idea. So saying that intentions are irrelevant helps the argument a little, by establishing that we would never say an attempt to resolve was justified simply because it was done with good intentions. But this just still leaves it an open question whether an attempt to resolve friends' marital problems is / isn't justified, because this answer doesn't nudge us in either direction.

    36% picked this

  5. Correct

    No actions based on good

    Why this is right

    This is the first answer choice that finally put the Conclusion the right side of a conditional rule (which is the typical format for correct answers on Principle). This rule says, well-intentioned action ? not justified does not result in success Do we know whether well-intentioned attempts to resolve the marital problems of friends results in success? Yes. We know that usually it does not. They are usually ineffectual (i.e. ineffective). Thus, according to this rule, they are usually unjustified. So this rule pretty much has the power to guarantee our conclusion.

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

    62% 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