Logical Reasoning

PT147 · S1 · Q2 A lack of trust in one's neighbors

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A lack of trust in one's neighbors leads to their lack of respect for the law.

Evidence

Neighborhoods in which people routinely lock their doors have higher burglary rates than neighborhoods in which people do not routinely lock their doors.

Conclusion

A lack of trust in one's neighbors leads to their lack of respect for the law.

Evaluate

Based on the second sentence, we know that the third sentence is evidence supporting the claim made in the first sentence.

This argument contains a commonly-seen Causal Flaw. It attempts to use a mere correlation to support for a much stronger claim of causation.

While the evidence suggests a correlation between locking doors and higher burglary rates, it does not necessarily support the conclusion that a lack of trust in one's neighbors leads to a lack of respect for the law.

There could be other factors at play that contribute to higher burglary rates in neighborhoods where people routinely lock their doors. For example, these neighborhoods may be more affluent and have more valuable possessions that make them attractive targets for burglars, regardless of whether or not doors are locked.

The argument also assumes that people are locking their doors because they distrust their neighbors, and it assumes that the neighbors are the ones committing the burglaries. It's possible that neither of these things are true.

Goal

Expect the correct answer to describe a Causal Flaw. If the LSAT wants to be tricky, a correct answer might focus on the difference between people locking their doors and distrusting their neighbors, or the fact that the burglaries might not be the result of the neighbors' lack of respect for the law. Beware of answers which describe other famous flaws which do not actually appear in this argument.

2.

The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument

  1. treats something that is merely

    Necessary vs. Sufficient

    This answer is describing a conditional logic flaw that does not appear in this argument. An argument which exhibits this flaw might look like this: If people in a neighborhood routinely lock their doors, the neighborhood will have a high burglary rate. The River Heights neighborhood has a high burglary rate. People in the River Heights neighborhood routinely lock their doors.

    3% picked this

  2. draws a moral conclusion from

    Bad Conclusion Match

    The conclusion is a statement about causation. It is not a statement about what is right or wrong.

    4% picked this

  3. bases its conclusion on data

    Self-Contradiction

    There is nothing contradictory about people routinely locking their doors and neighborhoods having higher burglary rates.

    1% picked this

  4. asserts in a premise what

    Circular Reasoning

    The premise (evidence) is about a correlation between burglary rates and people locking their doors. The conclusion is making a completely different claim about lack of trust leading to lack of respect for the law.

    1% picked this

  5. Correct

    treats what could be the

    Why this is right

    The argument assumes that a lack of trust in one's neighbors is the cause of the higher burglary rates, when in fact it may be that the higher burglary rates cause people to lock their doors more frequently. It is possible that people in neighborhoods with higher burglary rates have good reason to be less trusting of their neighbors, rather than the other way around.

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

    91% picked this

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