Passage A is adapted from an essay by historian Christopher Ricks; passage B is from the introduction, by historian Paulina Kewes, to a book in which Ricks's essay appears.
https://assets.lsatlab.com/uploads/2020/11/pt90-psg3.mp4
Topic
The debate over how to approach the concept of plagiarism—whether as a moral issue or as a historically relative idea shaped by power and context.
Framework
Present Debate
Main Point
Ricks (Passage A) criticizes historical (especially postmodern) approaches to plagiarism that see it merely as a power construct rather than a moral failing, arguing this undermines valuable moral judgments; Kewes (Passage B) counters that while some historical approaches are flawed, proper historical context is valuable and not inherently relativist. **Most Valuable Sentence(s):** - Passage A, last paragraph: - Passage B, last paragraph:
P1: Passage A — Critique of Postmodern Approach
Ricks argues that Rosenthal’s history of plagiarism erases differences between key concepts like plagiarism, imitation, and originality, reducing the idea of plagiarism to a matter of power dynamics, rather than genuine moral concern.
P2: Passage A — Political vs. Moral Dimensions
He complains that Rosenthal's "political" approach ignores honest/dishonest distinctions, instead focusing solely on the context and power structures surrounding a text or author.