Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT156 S2 Q13 Explanation

Santayana recommends that we study

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

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Stimulus

Santayana recommends that we study history to avoid the mistakes of the past. But we should not follow his advice. For, since history consists of unique and unrepeatable accidents, none of the crises we now face are the same as those enables one to avoid mistakes of the past.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

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
13.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of

Answer choices

  1. Trap6% picked this

    People should not study history, since doing so leads them to misunderstand the crises

  2. Trap4% picked this

    Every historical period is different from every other

  3. Trap5% picked this

    Although the crises one generation faces may appear to be the same as those another generation

  4. Trap6% picked this

    Studying history is valuable, but not for the reason that

  5. Correct79% picked this

    One should not try to avoid repeating the mistakes of previous generations

    Why this is right

    Answer E is correct.

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

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