Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT149 S3 Q26 Explanation

Decreased reliance on fossil fuels

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

TopicsParallel Flaw

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Stimulus

Decreased reliance on fossil fuels is required if global warming is to be halted. The current reliance would decrease if economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources were present. So ending to develop alternative energy sources.

What this question is testing

Parallel Flaw

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence 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
26.

The flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by the argument above most closely parallels that exhibited by which one

Answer choices

  1. Bad Premise Match / Valid6% picked this

    If we end poverty we will end hunger. Ending unemployment will end poverty. So ending

    These two premises chain together, so the argument is valid. End poverty ? End hunger End unemployment ? End poverty We want two conditionals that have the same outcome, so they don't chain together.

  2. Bad Premise Match7% picked this

    Daily exercise guarantees good health. Good health ensures a happy life. So daily exercise is

    These two premises chain together. good health ? happy life daily exercise ? good health We want two conditionals that have the same outcome, so they don't chain together. Original argument This argument X ? Y X ? Y Z ? Y Y ? Z so, X ? Z so, Z ? X

  3. Bad Premise Match / Valid10% picked this

    Going to college is required for getting a professional job. Graduating from high school is necessary for going to college. So graduating from high

    These two premises chain together. college ? graduating getting professional job ? college We want two conditionals that have the same outcome, so they don't chain together. Original argument This argument X ? Y X ? Y Z ? Y Y ? Z so, X ? Z so, X ? Z

  4. Correct64% picked this

    Keeping good teachers is necessary for improving education. If teachers’ salaries were improved, good teachers would remain in the profession. So an increase in

    Why this is right

    These two premises have the same outcome. improving education ? keeping teachers improve teachers salaries ? keeping teachers Then the answer concludes a conditional relationship between the triggers. improving education ? improve teachers salaries

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

  5. Bad Premise Match12% picked this

    Preventing abuse of prescription drugs requires expanding drug education efforts. Increased cooperation between schools and law enforcement agencies is needed if drug education efforts

    These two premises chain together. expand education ? cooperate ? prevent abuse ? expand education We want two conditionals that have the same outcome, so they don't chain together. Original argument This argument X ? Y X ? Y Z ? Y Y ? Z so, X ? Z so, Z ? X This argument ends up being flawed because it reads the chain backwards. We knew X ? Y ? Z, and it concludes Z ? X, but that's a different flaw from the original, in which the two conditional premises didn't chain together at all.

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