Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT18 S2 Q14 Explanation

Professor: Members of most species

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

TopicsFlaw

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Stimulus

Professor: Members of most species are able to communicate with other members of the same species, but it is not true that all communication can be called “language.” The human communication system unquestionably qualifies as language. trait without which we would not be human.

Student: I understand that communication by itself is not language, but how do you know that the highly evolved communication systems of songbirds, dolphins, example, are not languages?

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that 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
14.

The student has interpreted the professor’s remarks to

Answer choices

  1. Opposite11% picked this

    different species can have similar defining

    The student seems to be hearing that only humans have language, only humans have language as a defining trait. This answer sounds more like, "lots of species, like dolphins / honeybees / apes / etc. have a similar defining trait to that of humans: the use of language".

  2. Too Strong: every human trait2% picked this

    every human trait except using language is shared by at least

    If the student thought that the professor was saying that every human trait besides language is shared by at least one species, she would have said something more like, "How do you know that some animals like to dance, some are jealous, some dream stories at night, some laugh when others trip and fall, etc."

  3. Unsupported12% picked this

    not all languages are used to

    If the student were arguing with this, she'd be insisting that "All languages are used to communicate." But she's arguing, "some of these other communication systems are also language."

  4. Correct74% picked this

    using language is a trait humans do not share with any

    Why this is right

    Yes, the student seems to be objecting to this idea. "Language isn't shared with any other species?! So humans are the only ones who have language? How do you know that dolphins and apes, for example, don't have language?"

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

  5. Unsupported1% picked this

    humans cannot communicate with members of

    If the student were objecting to this, she'd be arguing that humans can communicate with members of other species, but her question is arguing that other species also have language.

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